This study is aimed at examining aspects of transit capacity realization and development of transit capacity among Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) members and the logistics map of the transportation routes in the EAEU and Silk Road Economic Belt. Aim. This study presents the main elements of the coordinated transport policy and practices of the Eurasian Economic Commission relating to realization of transit capacity within EAEU member countries in a structured fashion. Tasks. This study determines the sequence of measures adopted by the Eurasian Economic Commission to realize and develop transit capacity in EAEU members; examines the whole range of applied tools; provides reasoning for the establishment of international transportation routes; and evaluates the possibility of and prospects for merging major areas via integration and infrastructure development of the EAEU. Methods. This study uses general methods of scientific cognition to examine EAEU members’ coordinated transportation policy relating to the realization and development of various aspects of their transportation potential. Results. Trends in the current state and development of transportation routes and prospects for merging major areas of the integration and infrastructure development of the EAEU are identified. Particular attention is paid to the development of the all-rail Harbin-Suifenhe-Vladivostok-Busan route to connect China, Russia, and South Korea and thus provide additional opportunities to enhance transit from South Korea and China. A vehicular Europe-West China transportation route is viewed in terms of the long-term prospects for strategic partnership between the EAEU and China. Conclusions. Examination of the main aspects of realization and development of EAEU member countries’ transit capacity not only reveals problems arising in development of a coordinated transportation policy, but also makes it possible to evaluate the opportunities and prospects for merging major areas of integration and infrastructure development of the EAEU and the Silk Road Economic Belt while also addressing the issue of negotiating a preferential agreement.

This study examines the evolution of immigrant entrepreneurship in Russia and the issues associated with it. Aim. This study analyzes the major directions of public policy on immigrant entrepreneurship in the historical context and its results. Tasks. This study identifies the notion of “ethnic entrepreneurship” and determines its distinctive features; determines the stages of ethnic entrepreneurship development; and examines various impacts of public policy on immigrants. Methods. This study employs general methods of scientific cognition, such as the historical method, logical analysis, deduction, and induction. These methods allow conducting a sequential analysis of ethnic entrepreneurship in the historical context and determining the main characteristics of its current state as well as various impacts of the public management of immigration flows. Results. The analysis of the trends in the historical development of ethnic entrepreneurship in Russia over the period prior to the Russian revolution makes it possible to determine its positive effect on its economic development. During Soviet Union, the migration of the population was observed almost exclusively within the country. Despite the degree of multinationality and the mixture of nations, the process went rather smoothly. The public policy was aimed at promoting internationalism. Conclusions. In Russia, ethnic entrepreneurship has occupied unprofitable sectors of the market due to several reasons. Therefore, we believe it is desirable to examine the positive practices of the prerevolutionary era, when positive conditions for entrepreneurship enabled foreigners to make a significant contribution to the development of the Russian economy.

Improving the investment climate in the Russian regions is a priority area of cooperation between the authorities and businesses and aims to boost the territories’ socio-economic development. It is impossible to achieve the strategic goals of improving the well-being and life quality of citizens and facilitating business development without attracting investment for the implementation of major, ambitious projects. Aim. This study aims to pinpoint and substantiate the necessity of implementing an investment policy based on the substantiated strategy of improvement of regional personnel policy, development of municipalities and interterritorial cooperation, and indispensable use of project management mechanisms and regional branding. Tasks. This study analyzes the main conditions considered by investors when selecting a location for project implementation: (1) regional level economic development, (2) professional qualifications of the population, sophistication of infrastructure, (3) demand conditions, (4) political environment and transparency/accessibility of the authorities, and (5) methods utilized by local authorities to ensure a favorable investment climate. Materials. This study uses reference materials provided by the Federal State Statistics Service, statistical data on Russian Federation subjects, including data on regional socio-economic development, and materials from scientific workshops and seminars, which serve as the empirical basis for the study. Results. This study demonstrates the correlation between the a territory’s investment attractiveness and existence of institutional conditions stimulating business activity. This highlights the need regional and municipal authorities to support investment projects, particularly at the initial stage of project documentation drafting, including co-funding and assistance in obtaining certificates and ratifications as well as in accelerated allocation of land. The development of a personnel policy and promotion of territory recognition is equally important.

This study examines a new geographic organization of production - Innovative Territorial Clusters - and their role in the formation of the sustainable industrial development mechanism in Russia. Aim. This study provides basic methodological guidelines for the sustainable industrial development of Russia based on TIC. Tasks. This study completes several tasks. It determines the specific features of sustainable industrial development of Russia under modern conditions and expands the conceptual framework on this basis. It examines the correlation between the sustainable innovative development and TICs. Finally, it examines the structure, elements of TIC, and cluster policy as well as basic elements of the sustainable industrial development mechanism based on the TIC. Methods. This study employs general methods of scientific cognition to examine the elements of the sustainable industrial development based on the TIC in various aspects. Results. In Russia, sustainable industrial development is a process that combines territorial, industrial, innovative, and integration aspects. It is established that sustainable development is an objective for achieving social justice, economic efficiency, and environmental safety; innovative development is a method; and the cluster approach is a tool for achieving the objective, which takes the form of TIC in modern conditions. The formulation of sustainable industrial development based on TIC in Russia is proposed, and the formulation of TICs is specified. The structure of the external and internal environments of TICs is developed. Elements of Russian cluster policy are identified and structured. The basic elements of the sustainable industrial development mechanism in Russia based on the TIC are determined. Conclusions. It is established that with the convergence of the territorial, industrial, innovative, and integration aspects, a new modification of territorial organization of production is developed in Russia-the TIC. The formulation of sustainable industrial development based on the TIC in Russia is proposed, and the notion of the TIC is specified. TIC architecture for the cluster policy and the basic elements of the sustainable industrial development mechanism are proposed.

This research is aimed at examining the problems that impede institutions in the development and distribution of best practices in centralized organization of budget accounting. Aim. This study aims to identify the best practices of budget process organization that could become part of the anti-crisis measures in the regions amid budgetary imbalances. Tasks. This study analyzes the view of the Government of the Irkutsk region towards balanced budgets; examines the practice of centralized accounting organization in the region; and proposes ways of solving the problem of budget spending. Methods. This study uses general methods of scientific cognition to examine the budget policy of the Irkutsk Region towards certain aspects of the organization of budget accounting. The region shows a number of internal contradictions and paradoxes in terms of spending optimization inherent to the period of transition in national economy management. Results. The local centralized accounting practices implemented in the Irkutsk region are among the most advanced in the country. Developing a plan of anti-crisis measures, the Regional Government fails to best utilize the favorable conditions for optimization of recognized approaches in optimizing spending on management apparatus. Outsourcing could solve a number of priority problems identified by the Governor through the use of centralized accounting departments, their possible modernization and development into information and logistic centers engaged in accounting, control, procurement, and supply of the region’s institutions. Conclusions. Examination of practices of the organization of centralized accounting in regions makes it possible not only to determine factors that impede further development, but also to identify and describe best practices.

This study deals with the issues surrounding economic and environmental evaluation of rural land use in Krasnoyarsk Krai in relation to the effects of natural hazards that deal considerable damage to horticulture. Aim. This study aims to analyze the effects of natural hazards on rural land use and determine the main approaches to undertaking economic and environmental evaluation of likely risks and damage to horticulture at the regional level. Tasks. This study characterizes major natural hazards that affect rural land use in Krasnoyarsky Krai, determines the extent of economic and environmental damage to horticulture in this region, outlines the spatial quantitative characteristics of effects on rural production in major rural regions of the Krai, and examines approaches to insure against the economic and environmental risks faced in the production of basic grains. Methods. This study uses general methods of scientific cognition, statistical and comparative analysis, and spatial modeling to determine approaches to evaluate the extent of economic and environmental risks facing rural land use in horticulture. Results. Economic and environmental evaluations of exposure of the rural territories of Krasnoyarsky Krai to natural hazards are conducted. Economic and environmental zoning of rural territories is performed according to the intensity of wind erosion. Approaches to rural land insurance are substantiated with due consideration of the economic risk posed by natural hazards. Projected areas of crop failure are determined across the zones of natural-hazard economic risk in order to calculate insurance payments.

Small business not only plays a significant part in the national economy, but also acts as an important social phenomenon, providing opportunities for self-employment and implementation of industrial policies. In many countries, small business is one of the primary sources of innovations. In Russia, however, the development of the small business is mainly focused on the trade. Therefore, the support of science-driven production and business is a crucial challenge for the national economic policy in terms of the country’s sustainable development. Aim. This study aims to analyze the development of the small business and infrastructure of its support amid global challenges, develop approaches to the formation of a system for the support of science-driven production and innovative business. Results. The existing institutes of small business support are analyzed, revealing positive and negative features of the existing infrastructure of small business development and its influence on the competitiveness of the innovative sector. Methodological approaches to the implementation of a business idea through the infrastructure of business support are proposed. The specific aspects of the support and prospects for the development of small business in the Northwest region are examined.

Nowadays, increasing attention is being paid to the development of innovations in the Russian petrochemical industry. The country is currently among the leaders in hydrocarbon extraction and has a high potential for the provision of resources for petrochemical plants. However, internal problems of the industry such as the innovative sector are one of the main factors causing problems in the sustainable development of the petrochemical industry and therefore require further study and solution. Aim. This study aims to analyze the functioning of the modern system of petrochemical enterprises in the Russian Federation and substantiate the necessity of achieving an innovative breakthrough in the industry through the development of the industry’s innovative infrastructure. Results. It is established that petrochemical enterprises are the focal point of new knowledge, innovation, and advanced technologies, which makes them science-driven. The basic principles of the insufficient implementation of innovations for the industry’s sustainable development are analyzed. Low degree of production science integration is determined. Thus, Russian science faces the problem of innovative orientation.

Amid unstable economic macroenvironment, tax authorities face a crucial problem of finding the means of interaction with taxpayers that would reduce the risk of insufficient tax revenue to the maximum. Aim. This study aims to analyze the modern state of development of tax control, tax monitoring, and tax ruling in the Russian Federation as well as the relationship between the internal revenue service and the business. Tasks. This study evaluates the state of the tax monitoring system and the capability of taxpayers to use a reasoned opinion of tax authorities on the correctness of tax calculation and timeliness of tax payment; determines the strengths and weaknesses of tax control tools for taxpayers and tax authorities; and proposes measures for the development of tax control. Results. The principles of partnership between the internal revenue service and the business are specified. Trends in the development of tax control in the Russian Federation are evaluated, benefits of the implementation of efficient forms of control are specified, and the mechanism for the procurement of a reasoned opinion from tax authorities is described. The importance of tax monitoring for the improvement of the investment climate and the transparency of the taxpayers’ activities is emphasized. Directions for the further development of tax monitoring and tax ruling are determined.

Aim. This study aims to analyze the effects of the macroeconomy and impact of the Bank of Russia’s bank rate (key interest rate) on the banking sector. The analysis is based on econometric modeling. The aim is to develop an optimal financial strategy for the Bank of Russia for use in quoting the key interest rate and improve its impact on the Russian banking sector. Materials and methods. The article presents a computer based approach for the formulation and estimation of panel models with fixed effects for the financial performance of banking-sector banks according to basic Russian macroeconomic indicators and the bank rate (key interest rate) using the Stata econometric software package. Twenty-one financial and economic indicators are analyzed based on the official annual reports of 693 banks, official state statistics data, and the data provided by the Bank of Russia for the period 2007-2014. The analysis provides a quantitative estimation of the Bank of Russia’s financial strategy. Results. Analysis of the quantitative effect of the Russian macroeconomy and impact of the Bank of Russia’s bank rate (key interest rate) on the banking sector yields the following results. Russian macroeconomic indicators have a significant effect on the Russian banking sector’s financial performance. For example, total population income has a highly positive effect on bank assets and private deposits, while also having a highly negative effect on the bank’s private loan portfolio, including past due debt, as well as on loan arrears and other invested assets to private individuals. An increase in the total population’s income is a significant positive factor affecting the Russian banking sector and will have a substantial positive effect on the eventual consumption and GDP. The bank rate and its logging have a rather highly negative effect on the Russian banking sector’s overall financial performance. The bank rate and its logging have a particularly highly negative effect on the following bank indicators: (1) private loan portfolio, including past due debt, (2) private deposits, and (3) loan arrears and other invested assets to private individuals. An increase in the bank rate (key interest rate) results in a significant deterioration in financial performance of the Russian banking sector, while its decrease leads to a substantial improvement.

This study explores the possibility of predicting crisis phenomena in the economy by combining the methods of the theory of economic development cycles and theory of soft computing that are capable of operating at a high level of uncertainty. Aim. This study predicts crisis phenomena in the economy based on the theory of economic development cycles augmented by the elements of the theory of systems and soft computing. Tasks. This study examines the basic patterns of economic development caused by both internal and external factors; determines key trends in the development of crisis phenomena in the economy using retrospective analysis; and predicts crisis phenomena based on the determined trends and patterns augmented by the elements of the theory of soft computing. Methods. This study employs general scientific and logical methods to examine the most common explanations for crisis phenomena, determines key trends in their occurrence, and proposes a prediction of crisis phenomena based on such trends. Results. Crises are an integral and natural part of the development of any system. The system’s capability of resisting crises is largely determined by the timeliness of the implementation of measures to overcome it. An interdisciplinary approach to crisis prediction based on the theory of soft computing and the theory of economic development cycles offers a wide array of tools for crisis prediction. Conclusions. The economy develops in cycles largely influenced by both factors generated by the system and general external factors. The use of generalized prediction methods allows reasonably accurate prediction of crises in the economy, making it possible to take timely measures to overcome them.