Press Release, 15.04.2021

Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

Yabloko Chairman Nikolai Rybakov made a working visit to Ivanovo on 13 April, 2021.

In Ivanovo Rybakov met with Vladimir Yarchenkov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of OOO “Regional Operator for Handling of Solid Municipal Waste”, and discussed the garbage reform, tariffs, sorting and disposal of garbage in the Ivanovo region.

After the meeting Rybakov visited a waste sorting plant with the capacity of 250,000 tons of processed waste per year. After the launch of the new line, the plant sorts out the waste from 19 districts.

“After visiting the plant, I remained unconvinced: until there is a normal sorting of waste by the waste producers themselves (citizens and enterprises), until the recycling and use of recyclable materials are encouraged, the reform will not work. And this requires competition and the development of small businesses in this industry,” Rybakov noted.

Nikolai Rybakov discussed issues and problems of small and medium-sized businesses in the Ivanovo region with the management of the regional branch of the public organization Opora Rossiyi (“Support of Russia”). Among the problems that prevent local entrepreneurs from developing there were mentioned monopolism, price dumping, and the authorities’ desire to label all manufactured products. All this complicates the development of small businesses and does not allow entrepreneurs and the region’s economy to develop. The meeting also discussed Yabloko’s plan to support citizens and the economy after the pandemic.

Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

In the evening, the Yabloko Chairman met with members of the regional branch of Yabloko and civic activists,  discussed the upcoming elections to the State Duma and answered questions. Rybakov also gave a lecture on the environmental problems of Russia and the Ivanovo region at the School of Regional Policy, organised by the local branch of Yabloko so that to educate and involve young people in the political life of the country.