''I hope there won’t be disruptions of the banking system such as one that recently happened to Tatfondbank''
The backbone enterprises of the petrochemistry capital of Tatarstan promised support to the businesses
A 25% growth in the total economy is expected in the coming years due to small and medium enterprises of Nizhnekamsk. Today, it is 17.5%. SMEs have finally become a priority for the city authorities. In late October, a business support center opened in the city, 250 owners of medium and small private enterprises have already become its clients. Meanwhile, 2016 has brought a profit growth for one businesses, but for others, the crisis of Tatfondbank has deprived of new contracts and business partners. The correspondent of Realne Vremya found out about this other things when visited a ceremonial reception for the entrepreneurs at a restaurant in the city.
''You do your best to ensure sustainability of your businesses''
About 200 business persons gathered for the first in the history of Nizhnekamsk ceremonial reception, held with the participation of Deputy Minister of Economy Natalia Tarkaeva, head of Department of development and support of entrepreneurship of Chamber of Indistry and Trade of the Republic of Tatarstan Artur Nikolaev, Mayor Aidar Metshin, as well as leadership and representatives of large businesses, Nizhnekamskneftekhim, TAIF-NK, MK Tatneft-Neftekhim.
2016 for Nizhnekamsk has been marked not only by the 50th anniversary of the city. Perhaps, for the first time since the early 1990s, the city government started paying attention to the business community. This was emphasized by the mayor of the city at a recent meeting with media, where he admitted that the city government for many years was closed for small businesses. Invited a few months ago from Naberezhnye Chelny Radmir Belyaev and appointed in Nizhnekamsk as deputy head of the Executive Committee for investment development seems to have been actively engaged in rehabilitation of the business sector in the petrochemical capital of Tatarstan.
The next few years promise to be the time of active growth of SMEs. At least, the projects and speeches of local authorities spoke a lot about this. In the first place, the implementation of Innokam projects and the entry of the city in the territory of advanced development (TOSER) will contribute to this. The city investment council has already approved eight projects of Nizhnekamsk businessmen, which are planned to be implemented on the territory of the new industrial park. Its construction is taking place near the large industrial enterprises of the city. But prior to that, all these projects, as well as the fact that Nizhnekamsk meets all the parameters of the status of TOSER, will be presented in Moscow to the competition commission under Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov.
The leadership of major industrial businesses addressed to businessmen during the ceremonial part of the reception. According to the assessment of Director General of Nizhnekamskneftehim Azat Bikmurzin, 2016 has been difficult, but the city in the year of its 50th anniversary has changed, it has become well-known not only in Tatarstan, but also in Russia. ''I hope, these positive changes will bring change in the minds of residents and in the development of businesses. The undertakings that we see is a huge contribution in each of you.'' Azat Bikmurzin promised those present at the meeting businesses the support and assistance. Deputy Director for human resources of the company TANECO Sergey Parkhomenko expressed solidarity, saying that ''we are ready to help again, again and again'', which drew loud applause.
Director of Department for development and entrepreneurship support of Chamber of Industry and Trade Artur Nikolaev urged the entrepreneurs on the first day of 2017 to follow the folk wisdom and to give away products at knockout price to the first comers so that the year was successful. According to him, earlier it was difficult to see any new ideas in Nizhnekamsk because for SMEs in Nizhnekamsk it is ''very difficult to be around large enterprises''. Meanwhile, said Nikolayev, in the neighbouring city of Naberezhnye Chelny, the share of small business in the economy of the city this year has exceeded 30%. So, according to the head of the department of the Chamber, Nizhnekamsk has something to strive for.
An increase for ones, a drop, and Tatfondbank, which has deprived of clients, for others
After the official part, businesses had the opportunity to talk to each other: someone could boast of new developments, someone, on the contrary, complained the bad period. Opinions of Nizhnekamsk entrepreneurs about what has been 2016 for their businesses and what they expect from the future, the correspondent of Realnoe Vremya found out during the reception.
According to a broker Vadim Lozhkin, 2016 has turned out to be not as parlous as it was expected at the end of 2015, when oil prices fell sharply and the dollar soared. ''In my opinion, our country has successfully went through all these difficulties, it is an achievement of the Central Bank, which, in my opinion, was right to restrain the ruble rate. In general, we are optimistic about next year.'' Speaking about the forecasts for the coming 12 months, Lozhkin said, ''Of course, geopolitics will also affect Russian economy, including the election of Donald Trump as the president of the US, and oil prices, an average around $50 a barrel will continue, our analysts believe. But one should recognize that Russia has very effectively showed itself at the beginning of this year because if the Central Bank had not taken the measures, we would slide into a very severe crisis. I want to mention the problem of Tatfondbank and of a number of Tatarstan's banks. Tatarstan, perhaps, has been last to see it. Before the end of 2015, no bank of the Republic was even deprived of the licence. But here we see the withdrawal of the license of Kama horizon bank, the problems of the TFB.''
An individual entrepreneur from Nizhnekamsk Larisa Garayeva has a highly diversified business — it is a restaurant, a car wash, and even a veterinary clinic. According to the representative of the company Olga Nagimullina, 2016 has been a year of growth and development, it has been successful. Despite all the economic difficulties, they have received revenue and profit, surpassing the result of 2015. And next year something new will appear in the list of activities, Olga did not disclose the secret, noting that the opening of a new business is scheduled for February.
Evrobeton company, operating in the construction sites of both the city and industry of Nizhnekamsk, is in different situation. According to Director Bulat Motigullin, 2016 has been good, but still ''revenue and profit have fallen, there have been certain factors for this. Next year, I think, will be even worse in terms of these indicators because the economy is not very stable in the country. Yet in my business I am trying to do so that these negative factors did not reflect the staff. But if there is no other option, we will have to start makinf redundant and reducing wages.''
On the market services of Nizhnekamsk, a paintball club Strelok has operated since 2007, and this entertainment sphere has become a kind of assessment of sentiments and well being of the population of Nizhnekamsk. Here is what the head of club Alexander Stepanov said: ''The more people visits us, the happier people are, the more opportunities, they do not sit at home, they do become slaves of their work. So, this year the attendance has fallen off, there has been a change of contingent. The adults have been replaced by children and adolescents, who always need entertainment, it is impossible to explain them what the problems are.'' The young businessman expects stability in 2017, ''I hope there won't be such disruptions of the banking system, such as one that has recently happenened to Tatfondbank. We have been affected because our partners kept the money in TFB and Intekhbank. I hope this will not affect AK Bars Bank, after all, it is a regional bank.''
Prettl-NK company, headed by Oleg Polyak, manufactures and supplies harnesses for the railway industry and the automobile industry, they also supply their products to KAMAZ. By the way, Prettl-NK is one of the eight companies that presented its development project at the investment Council of Nizhnekamsk and is planning to become a resident of a new industrial park in the city. ''2016 is better than 2015. We have stabilized the situation in your company due to the fact that the auto industry and the commercial structures have began to feel better themselves. Therefore, the volumes have increased. Besides, we have surpassed our rivals a little, about 20% increase, despite the fact that the auto industry was falling off in general. We have entered profitability this year against as 2015 when we even conducted anti-crisis measures, we cut the staff a third, now on the contrary, we even started to recruit a little. We are working on our new project, we will produce wires for foreign cars and home appliances of famous manufacturers. We have taken the German certification, have signed the first contracts recently, and in the summer we begin receiving the new equipment. We are moving, evolving and look forward to the next year with optimism.''