MOSCOW, January 20. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that the domestic business, including small business, "has survived" coping with the conditions of work during the crisis.
"The last two years have been difficult enough for the economy, the objective difficulties have affected almost all of its sectors, but it should be noted that in general, the business survived, including small business," the president said, speaking at the National Forum of Entrepreneurs.
According to Putin, "even new opportunities" are opening up for businessmen, meaning the exchange rate differences and some opportunities on the markets.
The President said that in terms of number of new small businesses first of all there is a "certain positive trend" in trade and services.
"The number of registered commercial organizations in small business sector increased by 2.9% during 2015, and the number of individual entrepreneurs increased by 3.7%," he said.
According to the head of the state, "there is a modest increase in revenues."
He gave the example of small businesses, which in January-September 2015 had a 8% increase in revenues as compared with the same period in 2014.
"In wholesale trade it was plus 4.5% in the same period," Putin said.
The President said that "it is necessary to make every effort to preserve stability in small business and to ensure that time, economic, budget constraints would not become a barrier to the inflow of as many educated, modern-minded and enthusiastic people as possible to this sector."