RUSSIANS’ ATTITUDE TOWARDS BUSINESS IMPROVES OVER PAST DECADE

PwC, together with the Public Opinion Foundation (FOM), surveyed over 2,000 Russians to find out their attitude towards business and businessmen.

76% of the respondents have a “rather good” attitude to Russian businessmen, only 10% chose the answer “rather bad”. Meanwhile, 45% of the survey participants believe that 10-15 years ago, the attitude towards businessmen was worse.

The number of those who are convinced that businessmen have a great influence on life in the country (48%) exceeds the share of pessimists.

At the same time, respondents consider conditions for doing business in Russia to be rather unfavorable than favorable (49% vs 37%), and 44% say that in recent years they seem to be worsening.

41% of the survey participants support reducing taxes on business.

Peter Kirian, CROS Director for Media Projects and co-author of the National Index of Anxieties, comments on the PwC research: “The survey results suggest that each respondent understands the word “business” in his or her own way. As we can see, trade dominates over manufacturing which means that respondents do not associate operation of factories or plants with business. This, in turn, means that businesses should talk more about themselves, and should participate more in people's lives through the support for local communities, various initiatives and activities.

It is important to broadcast the idea that any barbershop, any shop is an SME, a business. And behind them are people, just like people working in offices or factories.

The fact that respondents see in business their children rather than themselves shows more doubts in their own abilities and not distrust of business among middle-aged and older people.”