Zarechny, 11 April 2016. PenzaNews. The Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy in the Volga Federal District Mikhail Babich has given high praise to the industrial potential of the Penza region at the end of the meeting on import replacement that took place during his business visit to the region on Monday, April 11.

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“Today, we did a very big and interesting job in Zarechny in the Penza region, where there was a display that showed what the Penza region industry can do. I must point out that the Penza region obviously has enormous potential in this respect,” he sauid.

The region made a great step forward, Mikhail Babich stressed.

“Over the recent time, the industrial growth in 2015 is 106%. This is more than the [Volga] federal district average – the first place there,” the Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy pointed out.

According to him, the region needs to concentrate its resources – in finances, standards and management alike – correctly to make sure the products by Penza enterprises could compete with others’ in quality and price.

“In the nearest future, we will decide on supporting certain projects mentioned today in terms of improving the capabilities of our enterprises in municipal procurement, to improve their capabilities to participate and complete orders by large state corporations,” Mikhail Babich added.

In turn, the Penza region governor Ivan Belozertsev pointed out that import replacement is a crucial area.

“Replacing everything would be impossible. But we must head towards that, we must research and solve these import replacement questions. It is very important for us. And we have the potential of enterprises, of staff,” the head of the region explained.

He listed the enterprises “Start” and “Penztyazhpromarmatura,” who were able to fully abandon using imported products over the past year, as successful examples of import replacement.

The Assistant Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Dmitry Ovsyannikov said the industry support measures must be synchronized with the regional government.

“And those enterprises that were mentioned [...] find support both in the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and in the Penza region government. In this respect, we talked about working more actively in certain areas,” he stressed.

According to him, the officials will be discussing the opportunity to form a regional fund of industrial development.

“In this year, we also will be cofinancing the projects selected by the regional industrial development fund,” Dmitry Ovsyannikov clarified.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade is ready to support projects in the Penza region, he added.