
The best defense against devaluation is export. According to EKSAR, export credit and investment insurance agencies, the number of small and medium-sized business exporters increased by 27 per cent during 2014, to 13,500 firms. Of these, 85 per cent are in the regions. In the regions, the number of exporters in the SME sector increased by volume, the Murmansk region (plus 420 per cent), the Habarovsky Province (210 per cent), the Primorsky Province (1900 per cent). In comparison, the increase in Moscow was 139%.
However, the share of exporters in the total number of SMEs in Russia is less than 1 per cent. Why is that so little? EXAR and AO Russian Support Agency for Small and medium business" Two consecutive years of questioning, which prevents entrepreneurs from exporting their products. " 70 per cent of respondents say that the problem is not even high funding rates, but lack of information support. We ask our clients, too, why not export. They say, "We'd love to, "and with customs," and the logic is ready to organize, but who's to sell, who knows us there? Everyone's hiding in search of the buyer, said the CEO of the Alexei Tupanov. - We're in this part now, together with the Mina Development, doing a joint business mission - we're out, we're familiar. Any size of the enterprise can be involved. The only condition is the flight and residence are paid. It should be noted that a specialized structure has recently been set up combining non-financial support measures, the Russian Export Centre.
The second problem is the cost of financing. According to Tupanova, there's a programme to work with banks on SME credit for export, it's gaining turnover, about 100 transactions in nine months. " Our insurance reduces the cost of financing, and these loans at a concessional rate can be refinanced by banks. But that's not enough yet, of course," he says.