By Vestnik Kavkaza
President of "Euroset" Alexander Malis speaks about his first trip to Chechnya, the economy of the republic and big business in the Caucasus.
- What was the reason for your trip to Chechnya?
- For us it was very important to see the actual situation. It is impossible to get a feel what is happening in some place, if you do not go on the streets, do not talk to people and do not see everything with your own eyes. We thought long and hard how to evolve in the Caucasus, including Chechnya. Therefore it was necessary once to come and see with our own eyes. The market has different features. For example, there are corrupted republics for which it is very common that the border can be crossed for bribes, not paying any taxes, with counterfeit or smuggled goods. There are very civilized markets - by the way, this applies to a greater extent to the Chechen Republic. I liked what I saw. It is clear that we need to make allowances for the war, which ended not so long ago - we were there just on the day of celebrating two years of the end of the counter-terrorism operation. It is clear that there is very much control, and it is clear that what happens in the country is under strict control of Ramzan Kadyrov. But it is clear that there is no another way in the republic in which only a few years ago the tanks drove through the streets. The question now is what will happen next. Now it looks like, of course, impressively well. The main idea of our visit was the one that no one from the authorities knew we were coming, because it was very important to feel the real life. It is clear that if we went with high-ranking officials, talking to people on the streets, we would have heard, perhaps, something else. It was very important to hear some reality.
- Does this reality make a good impression?
- It makes a good impression as a whole. It is clear that many are unhappy that Ramzan Kadyrov has established total control over everything, but I understand very well that there was no other way. I think that Ramzan Kadyrov did a tremendous job in Chechnya. What is built - you can say all you want, it received grants from the center, it is clear that much is built on subsidies. But we have, I'm sorry, subsidies for both Chechnya and the Kirov region. In Chechnya, I can tell you, the streets are so clean that when I smoked, I did not know where to throw the bull because it was a shame. I have not seen in Russia such streets with no litter like in Chechnya. In the Kirov region, which also lives on subsidies, the streets are dirty. So yes, of course, it is built on subsidies, but the build quality is good. And the fact that now everything is under total control, I'm sure, was inevitable. Another thing is that introducing such control is a giant work, and Ramzan Kadyrov has fulfilled it, and it should be noted that he performed it, I think, even brilliantly. I sincerely think so. The question is how he would change the situation, because what he did is a very difficult job, but what he has to do is much more difficult job. Today Chechnya in many places looks rich, but the Chechens actually live quite poor, and if you want them, the people themselves, to live rich, you need a certain level of economic freedom. How to give it so as not to lose control of the republic? It is difficult, and Ramzan Kadyrov still, of course, has to do this. But in general, it looks, of course, very beautiful.
- What is Euroset going to do in Chechnya?
- We have decided that we can open more stores. Our shop was opened a long time ago, we have recently expanded it, but we have always thought that probably we do not need to open another one because of the unstable situation. Now we believe that the situation can be called stable. Therefore, we can expand the business. Moreover, I think that everyone in Chechnya can do business. It is clear that we need to coordinate with local authorities and should be transparent, but we can work in Chechnya. In general, the region appears as a region in which people want to be rich and peaceful. Yes, many people in the street are alert and frightened. Yes, there are few people in the streets. The city looks empty. But it is visible that people want peaceful life: you come into the cafe, the restaurant and see how much people want to live normal, peaceful life. It seems to me a very good indicator.
- How do you assess the investment climate in Chechnya?
- We have a lucrative business. But it's important enough for us to not only come to Chechnya, earn something in the three months and run. We have small profit - normal, ordinary low income. We want to work in Chechnya a year later, and after ten years, to work more, so we do not pursue making money. Yes, we are not ready to work for losses. But we do not want to have some huge profit from Chechnya. We want it to be okay, because we think that for Chechnya and for our business, it is important that everything is normal. For such a company as "Euroset", a large company, for us it is very important to a) understand that laws exist, and b) to understand that the vast majority respect them. No matter what the laws are, most importantly, that they are respected. For us, the worst thing that can be is where laws exist, but people do not all observe them, except for a small part of the population and businesses. We just cannot work in such conditions, this is the destiny of every small business.
