Eduard Voytenko CEO at Baikal Communications Group commented on the current state of the lobbying and GR-industry in Russia for the Internet media Medusa.

According to him, the demand for GR and lobbying services varies in different industries. And estimating the degree of this demand, we can judge how much the development of state regulation responds to the business interests and how full is the expertise that accompanies state decisions adoption. “Currently, communication channels are almost monopolized. The authorities make decisions based on inadequate expertise and unilateral vision, – says Eduard Voytenko. – The degree of interest in lobbying can be an indicator that allows see clearly those industries in which the dialogue between business and government has not formed yet or proceeds with a significant misunderstanding.

However, the elimination of this misunderstanding, which in many industries (for example, in the pharmaceutical industry) began to threaten the stability of business of large companies, is hindered due to the absence of a law on lobbying. Companies, especially foreign ones, can not afford to allocate large amounts of financial resources for activities that are not regulated by such a law. Therefore, the law establishing the framework for interaction between lobbyists / GR specialists and government stakeholders is still needed, says Mr. Voytenko. The potential of the GR market in Russia is quite large, and “the main consequences would be the expansion of the market, increased confidence about the lobbyists’ law, the market would significantly contribute to the financial capacity,” says Baikal Communications Group CEO.

But, at the moment, there are still no ready-made solutions for “legalizing” lobbying. Attempts to regulate the industry are nothing more than a desire to create niches for business. “They offer only licensing and accreditation. This brings no contribution for the industry, but immediately creates the beneficiaries,” concludes Eduard Voytenko.

The full version of the publication on lobbying in Russia can be read by reference.

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