OREANDA-NEWS. July 16, 2008. The country’s Public Chamber held a session at which it considered the Plan for Long-Term Socio-Economic Development of Russia to 2020. Irina Gorbulina, chairman of the chamber’s subcommittee on regional development in the sphere of investment, organized the discussion.

Representatives of fifteen regions of the Russian Federation – from St. Petersburg to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk – offered proposals, recommendations, and criticisms of the model. The session included expert assessment of the level of study of the investment component of the conceptual work.

Lyudmila Ponidelko, member of the Management Board of Bank Electronika and Director of its Department for Government Relations, made a brief report on long-term priorities for developing financial markets and the banking sector. Ms. Ponidelko proposed creating a state fund for support of the government’s strategy to encourage the growth of small and medium-sized businesses. The proposal was endorsed by those in attendance, including Deputy of the State Duma and Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Federal Affairs and Regional Policy Gulnara Sergeeva.