Dear investors, business representatives and public organizations!
Today I, as Head of the Surgut City, appeal not only to the natives of Surgut, but also to the guests of our city with an Investment Message for 2016. This is the first time I make such an appeal. But i made a resolution that such practice will become annual.
What do we need this? To once again prioritize and share with you the main activities for the formation of a favorable investment climate in Surgut.
Our objective for 2016 is as follows: ensure the quality of urban infrastructure - this landmark: "extended infrastructure region" is marked in Yugra's development strategy — and reduce administrative barriers. I do not mean to say that bureaucracy is prevailing in Surgut. For example, last year the limit on the number of procedures required to obtain a construction permit, was 8 items and it's almost half as much as the district limit and we shall reduce it to 7 till the end of the year, the period for obtaining the permission is 130 days, this year we will reduce it to 120. The result was achieved, among other things, thanks to the work of the working group on reducing administrative barriers and increasing the transparency of administrative procedures in the implementation of investment projects in construction.
Unfortunately, in terms of infrastructure development, Surgut is far from being the leader. In some areas, our indicators do not exceed 20% of regulatory standard. We need new sports, cultural facilities, schools. It is most logical to attract investors in this area. But, regrettably, the downward trend in investment in fixed assets has reached Surgut. Negative processes in the world economy reduce the number of organizations wishing to invest in projects with a payback exceeding the medium-term limits. And not only in our city.
To improve the situation, we will foster our main efforts to implement two pilot projects:
– first project"MPP-standard" Let me remind you, MPP is a mechanism for municipal and private partnership, hailing from Surgut. IIn 2015, our city became the winner of the all-Russian competition for the best municipal management decision on creation of a favorable investment environment and earned honorific mention of the Minister of Economic Development of Russia. Now Surgut's experience is included in the new edition of the Atlas of Municipal Practices of the Federal Agency for Strategic Initiatives, whose Chairman of the Supervisory Council is Russian President Vladimir Putin. Our experience is recommended for adoption by the country regions.On October 22 an agreement on cooperation was concluded between the Surgut Administration and the federal "PPP Development Center". In this connection, the powers of the City Administration in the sphere of economy and finance have expanded, which is fixed in the Charter of Surgut since December 2015.
We set ourselves the task in completing the "pilot project" to create maximum conditions for the effective implementation of the new Federal Law on Public-Private and Municipal-Private Partnership and to develop at least 5 pilot MPP projects.
We are open to suggestions and recommendations for a private investment initiative, ready to help in training and further training. At the same time, the City Administration guarantees support for the investors' rights.
– the second project is the implementation of successful practices of Atlas of Agency for Strategic Initiatives ' or, in abbreviated form-ASI;
The basis is another agreement, but this time with the Department of Economic Development of Yugra. I would like to add Atlas of the Municipal Practices of ASI is considered as one of the key instruments for effective and efficient improvement of the investment climate. According to the approved "roadmap" Surgut must implement 10 practices within six months. Among which are:
- organization of support of investment projects based on one stop-shop principle is perhaps one of the key tasks of 2016;
- creation of specialized organizations to support investment activities;
- formation of an accessible infrastructure for the placement of investor facilities;
- acceleration of procedures for connecting to utilities networks, the timing of obtaining a building permit.
The model for working in this direction is simple: it is a constructive dialogue with business, open meetings of expert groups, whereto I invite all comers.
Let me remind you that the approved plan for the implementation of the development strategy of Surgut-2030, identifies more than a hundred objects until 2017, which were identified as priority by the natives of Surgut during the discussion of the Strategy. This list is not finalized and from March 25 to 29 through suggestions can be made at public hearings.
What has already been done?
Surgut City Administration has approved by the registry of land plots which may be rented to legal entities without bidding for investment projects. Half of them are in the core of the city center. The resolution of the City Administration "On Approval of the Register of Land Plots" was issued on January 15, 2016. The total area of the provided land exceeds 600 hectares. 34 facilities in 7 intended purposes are to be placed here. Only according to preliminary estimates such measures will allow to attract investments to the city in the amount of more than 10 billion rubles.
The platform for linking the city investment initiatives to the city's territory is the modern general plan of Surgut, which was one of the finalists of the town planning contest of the Ministry of Construction, Housing and Utilities of Russia in 2015 in 2 nominations - "The best general plan" and "The best urban development support information system". Synchronization the investment projects strategy-2030 with the general plan should be completed in the near future and is available in an interactive form, together with the evolving concept of investment development. The electronic resource is already accessible today (isogd.admsurgut.ru).
In addition, the information on investment activities can be found on the main page of the official portal of Surgut Administration in "About Surgut" tab, section "Investment Catalog" and on the portal USI.RF - crowdsourcing platform for implementation of the development strategy of Surgut until 2030.
The activity of the investment council under the Mayor of the city is open for everyone. It was created August 4, 2015,
I would like to that the set of support measures is not limited to the Administration of Surgut. There are also 44 banking organizations, a number of development institutions and specialized structures, such as the Yugra Development Fund, the Yugra Export Support Center Fund, the Surgut Chamber of Commerce and others.
Let me remind you also that the Strategy-2030 determines the sector priorities of investment projects for 2016: They are: innovative export-oriented and import-substituting production, taking into account the city specifics and servicing the economy of the fuel and energy complex; industrial parks; social sphere, including additional education of children; civil-industrial construction and individual housing construction; local producers and transport infrastructure development support projects, solid waste utilization.
Today Surgut has a positive image and is one of the leaders of Yugra rating in provision of a favorable investment climate. I am sure that working together with you we will maintain the growth rate to ensure socioeconomic development of our city. Together we can do it!
Head of the Surgut City
D.V. Popov