Businesses of small to medium scale breaching coronavirus regulations will forego anti-crisis financial aid from the city.
Yakutsk, Russia - Yakutsk Mayor Sardana Avksentyeva has announced a series of measures to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and individual entrepreneurs during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. These measures aim to provide financial relief, regulatory ease, operational guidance, and encouragement for e-commerce and delivery services.
- Financial Support: To lessen the financial strain on SMEs, the city has eased tax burdens and provided subsidies.
- Regulatory Relief: Temporary relaxation of certain regulatory requirements has been implemented to help businesses adapt more easily to pandemic conditions.
- Operational Guidance: Clear guidelines and assistance have been offered to help businesses comply with health and safety protocols.
- Promoting E-commerce and Delivery: Encouragement has been given to businesses to adopt online sales and delivery services to maintain operations despite restrictions.
- Rent and Utility Support: Moratoriums or reductions on rent and utility payments have been introduced for affected businesses.
For businesses that violate mandatory COVID-19 restrictions, consequences under Mayor Avksentyeva’s directives include fines, temporary suspension of operations, and, in severe cases, further legal penalties.
The Mayor believes this decision is fair and just. She has received support from representatives of the business community during a video conference with members of the Coordinating Council for Entrepreneurship in Yakutsk.
The city has also postponed payments for the rental of municipal land and property until September 1 without penalties and fines for SMEs.
However, businesses that violate COVID-19 restrictions will not be eligible for municipal support. The Department of Entrepreneurship Development of the District Administration has been instructed to keep a record of such violations and compile a "black list" of non-compliant entrepreneurs and enterprises.
These measures and enforcement actions aim to balance economic support for businesses with public health priorities during the pandemic. The mayor did not exclude similar decisions may be made at the republican level and above. The announcement was made during a live broadcast and Q&A session on Instagram on March 27.
- Policy-and-legislation: To further reinforce the measures, undisclosed penalties may be implemented at the republican level and above for repeated non-compliance of businesses with mandatory COVID-19 restrictions.
- General-news: As part of the city's policy-and-legislation, a "black list" of non-compliant entrepreneurs and enterprises is being compiled, demonstrating the intersection of politics and public health.
