United Russia discussed the future of special economic zones.

A joint meeting of the Commission of the Bureau of the Supreme Council of the United Russia party for Advanced Socioeconomic, Scientific, and Technological Development and the Expert Council for the Development of Preferential Regime Territories of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy, with the support of the Association of Clusters, Technology Parks, and SEZs of Russia, was held on the topic: "20th Anniversary of the SEZ: Evolution of Regulatory Legal Acts on Special Economic Zones and Future Legislative Changes."

The United Russia party discussed proposals to improve the efficiency of resident companies and SEZs in general, the specifics of private SEZ operations, and legislative restrictions. One of the key issues was changes to regulatory legal acts regarding the development of preferential regime territories.

As Vladimir Yakushev, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and Secretary of the General Council of the United Russia party, noted, over the past twenty years, the institution of special economic zones has proven its exceptional effectiveness as a comprehensive tool for spatial growth and a focal point for national investment, technological, and human resources. The success of SEZs is largely determined by creating the most favorable conditions for entrepreneurial activity.

Representatives of all special economic zones in the country gathered at the United Russia platform to summarize the 20th anniversary of preferential regimes and outline plans for the future.

"The development of territories with preferential regimes is an important part of the party's People's Program. In 2022, we created a commission of the Bureau of the Supreme Council of the United Russia Party for advanced socio-economic and scientific-technological development, with the development of territories with preferential regimes as one of its priorities. This decision was a response to a key challenge: the need to create a flexible, adaptive, and timely legal framework for the functioning of special economic zones. "This approach allows us to view SEZs not simply as a preferential instrument, but as a strategic mechanism for territorial development," said Denis Kravchenko, member of the Bureau of the Supreme Council of the United Russia party, Chairman of the Commission of the Bureau of the Supreme Council of the United Russia party on advanced socio-economic and scientific-technological development, and First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy.

The event was attended by Mikhail Labudin, Director of the Association of Clusters, Technology Parks, and SEZs of Russia, heads and representatives of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, and representatives of special economic zones of Russia. According to the Director of the Association of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of the Russian Federation, the growing momentum demonstrates that the SEZ mechanism has become one of the most sought-after tools for industrial growth: "Management companies are actively implementing ESG approaches: seven zones have already developed low-carbon development strategies, and the number of participants in the ranking has increased by 10 positions in a year. This is a direct indicator of the industry's maturity and focus on international standards."

He emphasized that expanding international cooperation strengthens the position of Russian zones on the global investment map: "We presented Russian SEZs to partners from ten countries. Interest in joint projects is growing, and today it is important to provide investors with rapid entry, transparent conditions, and a technological infrastructure comparable to leading global zones."

Igor Ishchenko, CEO of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Development Corporation, the management company of the Kulibin SEZ, spoke about legislative initiatives regulating activities in the SEZ. Specifically, it was proposed to exempt resident employees from paying tax on material benefits when using preferential corporate mortgages, and to allow the use of the treasury infrastructure loan mechanism in conjunction with subsidies for the creation of industrial parks under Russian Government Resolution No. 1119.

"Housing is a key issue when attracting employees to SEZ enterprises. Exemption from tax on material benefits could be a significant advantage for residents. “Thus, our proposed measures will attract more highly qualified specialists to the SEZs and reduce the costs of creating preferential business sites,” said Igor Ishchenko.

At the meeting, the Association of Clusters, Technology Parks, and SEZs of Russia, with the support of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, presented the results of the 9th National Rating of Investment Attractiveness of Russian SEZs – 2025.

This year, the rating included 48 SEZs of four types: industrial and production, technology implementation, tourism and recreation, and port. For the first time, a separate assessment was conducted for tourism and recreation zones. The methodology was significantly updated: experts considered 41 indicators in seven blocks, additionally assessing strategic planning, financial performance, and other factors.