Bills on business and social facilities in the Arctic pass first reading
© RIA Novosti. Natalia Seliverstova

Bills on business and social facilities in the Arctic pass first reading

The State Duma has adopted in the first reading a government bill making it easier for small businesses to get involved in Russian Arctic zone activities.

Under the draft law any companies wishing to obtain residency in the Arctic area will not have to invest in building, renovation or reconstruction of real estate. At the same time, the specific economic activities to be covered by the new requirements will be determined by the Cabinet.

Additionally, the new law will cancel the excessively strict requirements for would-be residents to do business solely in the municipality where it is registered.

Therefore, if a company or an individual entrepreneur is formally registered in the Arctic area, then they will be eligible to operate on preferential terms in several municipalities simultaneously. This will help them gain additional profit and expand their market, noted the Prime Minister.

The State Duma also adopted in the first reading a bill facilitating environmental assessment for building social facilities and transport infrastructure in the Arctic area.

The document provides that the requirement of conducting state environmental assessment of the federal level will not apply to the design documentation of the relevant social facilities and transport infrastructure, the lists of which will be produced by the Government, and the construction and renovation of which is to take place within the Artic zone populated areas but beyond the designated conservation areas.

Such simplified environmental assessment standards are to cover intermunicipal roads, the construction and repair of which will be carried out beyond populated and special protection natural areas.