Issues like property rights, taxation, protection of corporate shareholders, and fiscal reform must be tackled in order for Russia to support a vibrant and healthy business community. Amassing support within the business community for key legislation is part of a series of "Roundtable" meetings being organized by CIPE's Moscow office, with funding from the National Endowment for Democracy.
CIPE has already conducted three out of eight planned sessions, which brought together leaders from the Duma (Parliament), Central Bank, think tanks, media, and current and former CIPE partners intent on producing concrete recommendations on pending legislation. Roundtable sessions have already been held to debate shareholders rights, protection for entrepreneurs, and land reform, and future sessions are planned to target tax reform, transparency, and other crucial issues. Each session has produced solid recommendations that CIPE is sharing with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation and the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia to identify areas of agreement and to build more effective coalitions.
Experts in each field initiate Roundtable discussions, but each session has followed a course set by the participants' interests. Structured as a dialogue among business leaders, experts, and policymakers, the first Roundtable examined specific legislation on shareholder rights. Recommendations drafted from the session were disseminated via both the Internet and a professional journal.
The topic of land reform garnered such intense interest that the roundtable turned into a two-day conference featuring experts, representatives of the Ministry of Education, and participants from a wide range of sectors. Proceedings from the event were compiled into a booklet and were widely distributed.
The Roundtable focusing on the protection of entrepreneurs brought human rights activists from the Moscow Helsinki Group together with representatives from regional business associations to illustrate the similar interests of each group and to emphasize how joining forces could lead toward greater protection for entrepreneurs. Participants agreed on the following action plan:
CIPE is publishing four policy papers, based upon select expert presentations, to focus on the issues most important to participants and to create a platform for future advocacy efforts.
Developing widespread support for legislation that bolsters the business community is vital for the growth of free enterprise in Russia. The key strength of the CIPE Round-table program is its ability to bring together like-minded reformers to highlight their views, provide networking opportunities, and to help carry their message to a larger audience.