Russian minister highlights state role in boosting hi-tech, telecoms industries
Russia's minister of information technologies and communications was among the experts speaking at a conference hosted by investment bank Renaissance Capital in Moscow today.
Jun 21, 2005
Russia's minister of information technologies and communications was among the experts speaking at a conference hosted by investment bank Renaissance Capital in Moscow today.
Leonid Reyman told the conference his ministry was working with the country's Finance Ministry to come up with proposals to seek government tax breaks for companies working in the hi-tech sphere, ITAR-TASS news agency reported. Reyman said the concessions were needed because "the amount spent on wages by these companies can be as much as 80 per of overall turnover". This, he noted, compared to a mere 10-20 per cent in the oil industry.
Reyman had other suggestions as to how the state could help the hi-tech industry, through investment, for instance, in developing the necessary infrastructure, from building roads to providing "cheap offices and essential equipment". He also urged that technology parks be open to new companies, ITAR-TASS said.
Addressing his other area of expertise, telecommunications, the minister told journalists that the sell-off of the country's biggest telecoms firm, Svyazinvest, would go ahead but might be put off until 2006. There was not much of this year left, he remarked, according to a separate ITAR-TASS report.
On a positive note, Reyman was quoted by RIA-Novosti news agency as saying that "state regulation of the communications sector has ensured annual growth of more than 30 per cent". The measures being taken were such that there was "dynamic development across the industry, in fixed, mobile and postal communications, as well as television and radio broadcasting". He expected growth to continue until 2010, the agency said.
Leonid Reyman told the conference his ministry was working with the country's Finance Ministry to come up with proposals to seek government tax breaks for companies working in the hi-tech sphere, ITAR-TASS news agency reported. Reyman said the concessions were needed because "the amount spent on wages by these companies can be as much as 80 per of overall turnover". This, he noted, compared to a mere 10-20 per cent in the oil industry.
Reyman had other suggestions as to how the state could help the hi-tech industry, through investment, for instance, in developing the necessary infrastructure, from building roads to providing "cheap offices and essential equipment". He also urged that technology parks be open to new companies, ITAR-TASS said.
Addressing his other area of expertise, telecommunications, the minister told journalists that the sell-off of the country's biggest telecoms firm, Svyazinvest, would go ahead but might be put off until 2006. There was not much of this year left, he remarked, according to a separate ITAR-TASS report.
On a positive note, Reyman was quoted by RIA-Novosti news agency as saying that "state regulation of the communications sector has ensured annual growth of more than 30 per cent". The measures being taken were such that there was "dynamic development across the industry, in fixed, mobile and postal communications, as well as television and radio broadcasting". He expected growth to continue until 2010, the agency said.