Alexei Chumakov’s blog post, 31.05.2021

Photo: GrinPhoto/depositphotos

Many have already heard about the fees for participation in the St.Petersburg International Economic Forum 2021. The topic became relevant after Anastasia Tatulova, Ombudsperson on Small Business, was invited to speak at the forum for 960,000 roubles. This is the cost of a ticket (even for small businesses), so that to talk to top officials. However, not everyone spends their own money, as, after all, there is a country’s budget for this.

For example, a whole delegation will go from the Moscow region to St. Petersburg, for 49.8 million roubles from the regional budget. According to the terms of reference for the purchase [as money from the budget can be taken only via a tender], there should be at least ten meetings between Governor Vorobyov with the businessmen. The Russian Post became the logistics partner of the forum. This title cost the Russian Post 38 million roubles. Roscosmos became a sponsor of the Governors’ Room for 16.8 million roubles.

The Corporation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic decided to save money: they bought four tickets for 840,000 roubles (at a discount, without Vladimir Putin’s speech) and two full tickets with the participation during the President’s speech.

However, there are members who do not need to pay for expensive tickets. Young representatives of the social and political circles of the CIS countries will come at the expense of the Russian budget, 8 million roubles were allocated for their study visit.

The expediency of such an expensive forum is questionable. The forum will not be able to solve the problems of small and medium-sized businesses, since small businesses do not have extra millions, especially under the COVID conditions. And large-scale business in Russia is already closely connected with the authorities, so the forum has become an extra opportunity for officials to have fun and talk at the expense of the [country’s] budget.

Alexei Chumakov

is Deputy Director of the Anti-Corruption Policy Centre of the Yabloko party