Information agency Credinform prepared a ranking of Russian enterprises, carrying out postal and courier activities.

The companies with highest volume of revenue were selected for this ranking according to data from the Statistical Register for the latest available period (for the year 2012). These enterprises were ranked by decrease in net profit.

Net profit is undistributed profit (uncovered loss) of the current year, which remains at company's disposal after formation of payroll fund and payment of taxes, contributions, obligatory payments to the budget, overhead organizations and banks. It represents the overall financial result.

Net profit comparison of comparable on turnover companies, working in the same industry, can show, how efficiently does an enterprise operate.

 Picture. Decrease in sum of net profit of the largest on turnover organizations, carrying out postal and courier activities (TOP-10)

Cumulative turnover of the first TOP-10 largest on turnover organizations, carrying out postal and courier activities, following the results of the latest available financial statement for the year 2012, reached 141 244,5 mln RUB, went up by 9,8% in comparison with the year 2011. Industry leaders accumulate 95,2% of sales revenue of companies from the TOP-100 list, by that 86,9% of the turnover of TOP-100 is accounted for by only a single FGUP «POCHTA ROSSII». Current sales revenue growth can be characterized as stably-moderate.

In spite of the appearing of the great number of private courier companies in recent times, the monopoly of the Russian Post has been remaining practically unbreakable since Soviet period. From time to time the question about the reform of the monopolist, which is opened at different government levels, should be gone into with the greatest possible accuracy; privatization, dividing into parts of the enterprise can lead to rapid price appreciation for provided services, and it’s not a fact that to decrease in delivery time of correspondence and cargos, mostly for what they scold our national postal operator. It is necessary to improve the logistics. Because today for a letter sent, for example, from Yakutsk reaches Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, it is forwarded to the sort facility located in Moscow. The absurdity of the situation leads to artificial increased time of delivery.

The Russian Post is the leader in the sum of net profit, however, if comparing its net profit and net profit of the second on turnover company of TOP-10, then the result will be clearly against the monopolist. High expenses: amortization, support of basic funds, expenditures for staff and logistics etc. lead to, that by a massive turnover the enterprise shows rather small net profit.

Practically all participants of TOP-10 are registered in Moscow, that’s no wonder –traditionally the transportation flows of the great country lock in the capital and it’s the problem not only of postal companies.

Taken as a whole, according to the independent estimation of solvency of companies, developed by the Agency Credinform, all market leaders, except KurerServisEkspress LLC and KURER-SERVIS LLC, have a high and the highest solvency indexes GLOBAS-i®. It means for investors, that the organizations can pay off their debts in time and fully, while risk of default is minimal or low. With the development of internet trading and online stores the demand for postal and courier services will keep steadily growing, that will lead to increased competition between market players.

Economic Development Ministry of RF (EDM) laid out new "Concept of priority measures of socio-economic development" for 2014-2015. According to the minister of economic development Aleksey Ulyukaev, these measures will be aimed at stimulation of economic growth in mid-term and long-term in budgetary resources poor settings.

Earlier, the Minister noted that over the next three years, economic growth in Russia will not exceed 2.5%. At the same time Ulyukayev believes that such a slowdown in economic growth is not a crisis, but a result of transition from one economic model to another. Thus, according to the minister, today in conditions of ceased rising of oil prices, Russia should pay particular attention to the competitiveness of non-oil products - it will become one of the new economic drivers.

The minister also noted that it is necessary to increase investment in the economy, as increasing the GDP growth rates due to consumer demand is impossible.

One of the main problems of the Russian economy remains high share of the informal sector. One of the main problems of the Russian economy remains high share of the informal sector. Constant pressure on small and medium business by state regulators leads business into the shadows. To solve this problem, the Economic Development Ministry proposes to introduce a two-year tax holiday for new companies as well as to ease the pressure from the regulator, imposing ban on inspections. A huge number of regulations adopted annually also greatly complicates the life of Russian entrepreneurs. So, over the last ten years 180 thousand regulations were adopted on the federal level, and, as you know, the quality of regulation depends on its stability. Uljukaev proposes to introduce a strict rule: to adopt a new requirement, entailing costs for business, and cancel the previous two.

The new plan of measures once again speaks of the tariff reductions monopolies. Resolving this issue is directly related to the optimization of costs. As one of the ways to solve infrastructure problems and extra-budgetary investments attracting, EDM proposes to develop public-private partnerships. This mechanism is well established in international practice and helps to generate the resources and capabilities of the state and business, reducing the risks of the project participants.

A special place in the concept of priority measures is given to antimonopoly regulation. To date, the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) is a record holder in the number of cases, but in most cases they are prosecuted rather formally, and the quality of investigation leaves much to be desired.

The Ministry of Economic Development suggests taking a small business from the scope of antitrust laws, except in cases of price collusion and collusive tendering, and allow unannounced routine audit only with judicial authorization. However, representatives of FAS are categorically against such measures, believing that unscrupulous owners will take advantage of them, shattering their companies. At the same time EDM states that small business cannot be a monopoly by definition.

Remember that the previous plan presented by MED in summer offered mainly various forms of fiscal and credit support, which, unfortunately, did not lead to the desired results. Estimating the new plan of restarting the economy, most experts agree that, despite reasonable solutions included in the proposed list, in general it can also be ineffective. The main question that the plan should respond on is why it is profitable to invest in the Russian economy. Until the state does not offer clear advantages for investors and create conditions of overall stability and openness, it will be worthless to wait the response from even the most reasonable measures. To date, stimulation the growth of the Russian economy is possible only by increasing the availability of credit, regulatory reform and public institutions, as well as the formulation of a clear position of the state in respect of investments to private business.