The Ministry of Economic Development should introduce a ‘roadmap’ of the plan to increase the role of the non-governmental sector of the economy in the provision of social services before 10 December

A governmental commission on the co-ordination of the activity of the open government has approved proposals to increase the role of the non-governmental sector in the provision of social services, reports government.ru.

The Ministry of Economic Development’s proposals were prepared and set forth in a special document by the commission for support of socially orientated NGOs and the development of social enterprise as well as the agency of strategic initiatives. The document especially mentions that that out of 100,000 socially orientated NGOs, only 5% are actually working. As a result of this, social NGOs account for only 1% of GDP, whereas in Europe they account for 6.5% of GDP. The purpose of the proposals is to stimulate socially orientated NGO activity and to involve them in competition with governmental and municipal institutions in the provision of social services.

‘As well as socially orientated non-commercial organisations, the focus is on the development of social enterprise, which can provide quality social services to the population alongside the NGOs,’ the document states.

The ‘roadmap’ was to be submitted for voting in the Ministry of Science, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Work, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health before 20 October, as well as inspection in the agency of strategic initiatives. They are recommended to inspect the ‘roadmap’ in the reviewing committee before 1 December and the Ministry of Economic Development has been advised to introduce the law to the government before 10 December.