2007 Annual Report - Center for International Private Enterprise

A representative of the Perm Coalition presents a T-shirt reading“Bribes Are for Dummies” to a representative of the Altai Coalition.Building widespread consensus for reform is key to advancing change.RussiaBuilding Coalitions toCombat CorruptionIn 2007, CIPE worked with 17 regionalcoalitions in Russia to enhance their advocacycapacity and strengthen their ability toshare methods for collective action againstcorruption. At the federal level, CIPEpartners – OPORA (Union of BusinessAssociations) and the Russian Chamber ofCommerce and Industry (RCCI) – built onregional-level experiences to advocate for thereform of national economic legislation. In2007, the project resulted in five legislativechanges at the federal level and six at theregional level.impact on Reform• Legislation i on self-regulating l organizations i wassigned into law by President Putin in 2007,incorporating the recommendations of coalitions inPerm and Khabarovsk.• A law outlining small- and medium-sized enterprise(SME) development in Russia was passed by theRussian Duma in 2007. The law defines SMEs,provides guidelines on SME development policy,delegates authority regarding SME developmentat different levels of government, and includesframework language on the rights of businessorganizations to advocate for SME interests.• The Nizhniy Novgorod Coalition saved 667 out of2,500 businesses from demolition when the cityadministration began destroying their premises.• When the Primorsk Coalition learned that 90percent of small business inspections uncovered“violations” (leading to bribes), it took action todefend the entrepreneurs. Approximately 80 percentof these cases were successfully resolved through thelegal system in favor of the business owners.28