On June 1, 2016, the St. Petersburg Business Association (SPIBA) jointly with Capital Legal Services held an open event – a round table on the topic “The stages and practical measures to ensure the sustainable operation and development of engineering and energy complex of St. Petersburg”

Anastasia Fomicheva, Principal Associate at Capital Legal Services acted as moderator. Heads of utility companies included in the OJSC Lenenergo group and representatives of the Committee on Energy and Engineering of St. Petersburg participated in the discussion. Reports were given by the Head of Prospective Development Department of the Committee on Energy and Engineering of St. Petersburg Mr. Anatoly Vladimirovich Tarasov, Counsel to the General Director of PJSC Lenenergo Ms. Snezhana Yurievna Kitaeva and Head of Legal Department of JSC Energy Service Company Lenenergo Mr. Nikolay Nikolaevich Kozlov. The business community was represented by major construction companies, operators of gas stations, production enterprises, energy conservation companies and small businesses.

The goal of the round table was to form a platform for constructive dialogue between business representatives, the St. Petersburg Committee on Energy and companies of the Lenenergo group providing services on technological connection to the city’s power networks.

The participants of the meeting emphasized the timeliness and useful nature of the event as concerns the practical nature of the issues concerned. Business representatives had an opportunity to communicate with the representatives of Lenenergo and St. Petersburg Administration in an informal setting and to pose questions vital for business development. In their turn, Lenenergo and the Administration received feedback from the consumers that is highly important for forming the policy for energy sale and connection to electric power networks at the level of the city.

“I would like to thank SPIBA for the impeccable organization of the platform for the round table,” comments Anastasia Fomicheva, Principal Associate at Capital Legal Services, “I would also like to note the very detailed, specific solutions, explanations and comments provided by the Head of Prospective Development Department Committee on Energy and Engineering of St. Petersburg Mr. Anatoly Vladimirovich Tarasov.”

Karina Khabacheva, SPIBA Executive Director noted the active and positive nature of the meeting, in particular of the Q&A session. “A wonderful round table! The participants were ready to discuss vital topics and to respond to questions important for business. Representatives of the City Administration and Lenenergo expressed readiness to participate in such meetings on a regular basis,” commented Karina in the course of a phone conversation.

The organizers and representatives of the St. Petersburg Administration and Lenenergo proposed to hold similar meetings regularly so as to ensure a live dialogue with the business community.

Reference note: In May 2012, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the order “On long-term state economic policy” containing the goals for developing the Russian economy and certain achievement indicators for the said goals.

Among the indicators of development, the President specified the position of Russia in the World Bank’s Doing Business rating and in relation to this indicator set for the Government the specific task of taking measures needed to raise the position of Russia in the Doing Business rating by 100 points (so-called “100 steps”) from the 120th position in 2011 to the 20th in 2018. Each country is assigned a respective position in the rating of favorability of conditions for doing business. The rating has 189 positions. The higher the position of a country in the rating of favorability of conditions for doing business, the more favorable the entrepreneurial environment for opening and functioning of an enterprise.

The position of each country in the rating of favorability of conditions for doing business is determined by the aggregate grade of the particular countries for the indicator of remoteness from the distance to frontier in ten areas: registration of enterprises, obtaining a construction permit, connection to the electric power grid, obtaining credits, registration of property, protection of minority investors, taxation, international trading, ensuring performance of contracts and resolving insolvency. In 2015, Russia ranked 51st (120th in 2012). On the criterion of connection to the power supply grid in 2015 Russia ranked 29th.

The St. Petersburg International Business Association (SPIBA) isan independent non-commercial organization consolidating foreign and Russian companies to which it provides support in developing business in Russia’s North-West.

Capital Legal Services is a leading Russian full-service law firm operating since 1999. The firm has offices in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Helsinki. International rating agencies Chambers & Partners and Legal 500, engaged in research of the legal services market, recommend Capital Legal Services as legal advisor for companies entering the Russian market and doing business in Russia.