THE SALUTARY FASCIST INTERLUDE:

Putin: “Small-scaled business could help eliminate poverty in Russia” (The Russia Journal, December 23, 2003)

Stressing the urgent need to develop and support the SMEs, [small- and medium-sized enterprises] Putin noted that small- and medium-sized businesses have the potential to help eliminate poverty in the country. “The business community has not only an economic potential today, but a creative and expert potential as well. It is time to forward this potential into such spheres as education, health and ecology”.

Russia to have one-window policy for business registration (The Russia Journal, December 24, 2003)

President Vladimir Putin signed a bill on one-window concept for registering businesses into law on Dec. 23 in a move expected to ease the often time-, energy- and money-consuming bureaucratic gridlock faced by entrepreneurs while registering businesses in the country. [...]

With the new policy, potential entrepreneurs will now only have to register their businesses with the Tax and Revenues Ministry, which will complete the process within five working days, unlike before, when the process used to take months, Mishustin said.

If this is how Mr. Putin plans to use his new power, the dubiosity surrounding its acquisition is a small price to pay.

Posted by Orrin Judd at December 26, 2003 8:26 AM