OREANDA-NEWS  In January, the share of companies positively assessing the business climate in Russia decreased by ten percentage points, to four percent, that is, more than three times. This is reported by Forbes with reference to a survey by the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP).

A third of the respondents negatively assess the situation, as in December. The personal assessment index decreased by 5.4 points to 33.7, which was the lowest value over the past year.

Estimates of the "purchase price" parameter deteriorated by a third, from 28.5 points in December to 18.8 points. Two thirds of the respondents claim that prices have increased, although half of the survey participants had previously given this answer.

The "selling price" indicator increased by 8.2 points, and a quarter of the respondents complained about an increase in the number of outstanding obligations on the part of counterparties. The business assesses the situation with logistics as deteriorating — the value of the corresponding index decreased by 5.3 points, to 40 points. In January, 11.8 percent of respondents gave negative ratings, and in December — 20.7 percent.

Alexander Kalinin, President of Opora Russia, noted that the decline is observed in almost all positions. He explained that at the end of the year there were a lot of calculations on budget orders, which raised the spirits of entrepreneurs, but now this momentum has been exhausted. The deterioration of the dialogue with the authorities and the continued increase in costs also played a role.

Earlier, Dmitry Belousov, Deputy Director General of the Center for Macroeconomic Analysis and Short-term Forecasting (CMAKP), called for stopping hoping for a significant increase in real (minus inflation) salaries. He pointed out that companies have already reached the limit of the growth in employee costs, and the national economy is stagnating.