13.12.2016

This Bill is aimed at establishing the basis for State support to social entrepreneurship, as well as establishing legal norms and legislative regulation of the work of social entrepreneurs.

The Bill will be submitted to the Duma by the end of the year, said Rafael Mardanshin, an MP from the Parliament’s Lower House in an interview with Rossiskaya Gazeta. “In all probability, we’ll have time to consider the text at First Reading stage in the time that remains before the start of the New Year”, he added.

According to Mardanshin, social entrepreneurship legislation should include clearly defined criteria that social entrepreneurs have to fulfil, as well as the types of activities in which they can be engaged. The Bill establishes a definition of “social entrepreneurship” within Russian legislation which officially enhances the status of social entrepreneurs by affording them the right to State support, according to its Explanatory Note. It also proposes to grant them the same rights and opportunities as those enjoyed by Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs).

“The Bill proposes setting up different forms of support that can be provided by State authorities and local Government agencies to SMEs operating in the social entrepreneur sector. These include the creation of social innovation centres; financial, consultancy, information, training and re-training support; upgrading the skills of social entrepreneurs and their staff, together with other measures”, says the Explanatory Note.

The text’s authors believe that adopting the Bill “will increase the social responsibilities of businesses to society as well as helping to resolve pressing social issues prevalent within Russia”.

Source: : https://www.asi.org.ru/news/2016/12/14/gosdumadokont/