Support for SMEs and the self-employed has almost doubled

The volume of support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as the self-employed, immediately decreased by 43% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year, to 72.3 billion rubles. This is stated in the HSE study (Izvestia has it). This figure is comparable to the crisis of 2022 (75.8 billion rubles).

Deductions and academic failure: business owes 352 billion in insurance premiums

In which areas are there the greatest arrears and will the social security of citizens suffer from this?

The authorities have changed the focus from quantitative indicators for SME development (number of employees) to qualitative ones (income growth) — this implies a more selective and effective approach, says Egor Diashov, chairman of the Financial Markets Commission of the Moscow branch of Opora Russia.

Optimization of budget expenditures also influenced the reduction in aid volumes, said Tatiana Ushkats, an expert at the RUDN University Faculty of Economics. In a high-rate environment, a reduction in government support may affect business scaling opportunities and the opening of new production facilities, which will negatively affect the supply side economy, said Stepan Zemtsov, director of the Center for Economic Geography and Regionalism at the Presidential Academy.

It also threatens to increase the unemployment rate and weaken the competitiveness of domestic producers, Ushkats said. State support for business does not have to be a condition for the development of SMEs and the self-employed, Dmitry Abbakumov, coordinator of Delovaya Rossiya in the Central Federal District, is convinced. Companies must cope with their economic challenges without such assistance, the expert concluded. But at the same time, it helps to accelerate the development and scaling of enterprises.

Read more in the exclusive Izvestia article:

Price benefits: support for SMEs and the self-employed has almost halved