Big business and philanthropists around the world are joining the fight against coronavirus. Center for the Development of Political Capital (CRPC) conducted a study of measures to support Russian citizens, small and medium enterprises, microcompany, individual entrepreneurs from the domestic business (document is available Federal News Agency).
CRPK chose as typical, non-standard support methods, which Russian companies have proposed to help people and entrepreneurs during a pandemic.
"To business - to business" and "to business - to the person"
The CDRC study analyzes practices 30 Russia's largest revenue companies based on open data analysis, posted on the official websites of organizations and in the press. All measures are grouped into blocks "business to business" or "business to man".
“Big business these days around the world, wealthy people send large sums to help citizens, organizations, affected by coronavirus, - comments the study head of the center Eleanor Kawshar. - First we monitored the best practices for helping coronavirus victims by municipalities, and after that it became interesting, how Russian business is included in this story. We only saw passages in the press, What COVID-19 victims assistance programs do major Russian business players offer, and decided to devote separate monitoring to them ”.
According to Kawshar, the number of such proposals increased significantly after the first appeal to the people of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin in connection with the pandemic.
“Business reacted to the presidential agenda. First of all, it's a big business., as well as companies with state participation, - the interlocutor of the FAN considers. - It is they who implement comprehensive support measures and proposals from the point of view of target groups. Help big business people, smaller players set the tone for other sectors of the economy, forms a culture of social responsibility. In terms of politics, they show themselves indifferent to the future of the country ”.
According to the results of the analysis, the list of the most interesting, comprehensive practices of supporting citizens and business by Russian companies, who did not abandon their compatriots during the pandemic, Sberbank banking structures included, VTB, Tinkoff Bank, industrial corporations Norilsk Nickel and Rusal, trading networks of X5 Retail Group and Magnit, telecommunication companies "Megafon", Yandex and Mail.Ru Group.
Banks offer analysis on COVID-19
Major banking corporations supported measures, proposed by the president of Russia to the government of the country. So, Sberbank and VTB provide credit vacations to individual borrowers affected by the coronavirus pandemic and debt restructuring programs. Deferred payment of cash loans, mortgage and insurance contracts will be received on sick leave due to coronavirus, as well as customers, who are forced to stay abroad due to closed flights with Russia.
Banks offered loans to pay salaries to coronavirus business representatives. Interest-free loans granted to regional entrepreneurs - a priority for the industry, most affected by COVID-19. Small and micro enterprises were also offered loans for business restoration - re-lending to pay off current debt as a principal, and interest, commissions and other obligations.
Beyond General Measures, declared by the government, some banks offer unexpected ways to support. for example, Sberbank has developed a prototype robot disinfector to combat the COVID-19 pandemic: it can be used to disinfect a room larger than 2500 quarter. m. The robot can be used in hospitals and clinics, educational institutions, offices, shops, transport facilities and other public places.
Besides, the bank sent to the regions 700 thousand protective masks and 50 thousand pairs of disposable gloves for volunteer staffs, who provide assistance to senior citizens and people with limited mobility. Laboratory diagnostics for the presence of coronavirus is available to customers of one of the bank’s new programs.
VTB also supports volunteers: Moscow city bike rental "Velobike", which is supervised by the bank, gives promotional codes for connecting a free tariff to volunteers, couriers and social services.
Banking systems were quickly rebuilt to customers, caught up in self-isolation. VTB launched the ability to remotely open an account using biometrics, and Tinkoff Bank - the “Survive Quarantine” promotion: customers receive free subscriptions and discounts on online services, relevant during social isolation. This list includes online cinemas, fitness for home, library for reading books, services for learning English.
Besides, Tinkoff increased cashback for home purchases and extends bank card service, which expires during quarantine.
Businesses also offer to switch to online service. VTB has opened on the website the section "Business from home" with services, which will help to conduct business on a remote site, and Sberbank launched a project of anti-crisis support for small and medium-sized businesses SberUnity. On this platform, professional business mentors provide advice to entrepreneurs of various industries from all regions of Russia.
Retail chains employ job loss
According to Evotor IT company, due to limitations and problems, related coronavirus, in Russia suspended work 37% outlets. Head of the Ministry of Labor Anton Kotyakov 15 April announced 735 thousands of unemployed in Russia, but in the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of the Russian Federation, the real number is estimated in 4 million people, referring to the data of Rosstat.
Large retail chains in Russia during the pandemic support the staff of other organizations and provide them with temporary work in their stores. So, Magnit announced the employment of one and a half thousand people from catering enterprises, non food chains, airports. X5 Retail Group invites store administrators to train and work, cashiers, warehouse operators, drivers.
Besides, Magnit switched to round-the-clock delivery of goods in Moscow and the region, and X5 Retail Group for the first time launched delivery from Pyaterochka in the capital. Retail chains also thought about Russian doctors, volunteers and retirees. Online collection of products for single elderly people on the site Korotkobodroboty.rf now operates in more regions. “Magnit” has provided a discount to social volunteers and social workers for the purchase of goods for pensioners, as well as increased bonuses for purchases for medical workers.
"Clear, that state-owned companies can afford more, their measures look more complex, diverse, - considers Eleanor Kawshar. - But also small enterprises are heroes, they also do not stand aside and offer their support measures. This conscious help of the business community to people, will make a significant contribution to combating the pandemic and mitigating the effects of the crisis. ”.
Internet companies have proposed to develop on self-isolation
Telecommunications and Internet Service Providers, technological holdings, who already existed on the web, use pandemic time, to create a positive image for yourself and strategically invest in your future market, considers eleanor kawshar. Besides, they create a positive news agenda and offer Russians opportunities for self-development.
"Of course, measures, which banks offer, may seem more serious, - comments Kavshar. - But you have to understand, that business will still have to pay for this help. But such companies, like Yandex, Mail.Ru Group, "Megaphone", Now they provide people with free platforms for development and thus invest in their future audience. ”.
Yandex launched a charity initiative in the framework of the project “Help is near”. Donations will be used to pay for drivers' time and will be distributed in several directions: medical trips for calls, delivery of grocery sets to socially disadvantaged groups, assistance in organizing trips to donors and cancer patients. An online company also helps deliver grocery packages to people., which are on self-isolation.
Separate direction, proposed by Yandex during the pandemic, Are free online education services. "Yandex.School" conducts video lessons on subjects of the school curriculum, as well as additional classes to prepare for the exam and exam, online translation of lessons and assignments for elementary grades with the ability to automatically check.
Mail.Ru Group has launched a support program for those small and medium enterprises, that provide useful free products or services during the fight against coronavirus. Companies offer grants in the amount of 100 000 rubles for the deployment of services based on the cloud infrastructure Mail.ru, free migration assistance to the MCS cloud platform, as well as a discount on the continued use of services after receiving a grant.
Besides, companies, who are forced to translate processes online, give a package of services from the platform "Mail.ru for business", and Citimobil aggregator compensates taxi drivers for income, lost during downtime due to illness or contact with coronavirus patients.
The telecommunication company Megafon first of all transferred its employees to the remote work, and for subscribers opened unlimited access to a number of instant messengers, TV content resources, books and press.
Time for action, which cannot be measured by money
Doctor of Economic Sciences, Honored Economist of Russia Andrey Margolin considers, that such support measures are very far-sighted and can strengthen relations between small and large business in Russia.
“The level of trust between small and large businesses was not very good until this coronavirus pandemic. Small business had the feeling, that big business is fattening, when it's hard, - noted Margolin. - And if now large business will incur part of the costs of overcoming the hardships of the crisis, including through targeted support and people, and small business, it will build trust. And trust is a strategically significant category, and it will be very useful to us in that period, when will we get out of the crisis ”.
Margolin hopes, that leading companies, who got into the study, will become an example for other representatives of Russian business.
“A brand is not only the availability of money and a decent salary for those people, who work there. Still, Russian society is sensitive to issues of justice and to such things., which is not always easy to measure with money. I think, What do you want, who has not joined yet, think very hard, that it’s time too ”, - he added FAN.
The number of cove patrons in the world is increasing. known, what a singer Madonna donated one million dollars to a charity project Bill gates, who is looking for drugs for coronavirus. The charity fund of the founder of Alibaba Group has invested in the development of a vaccine against a new type of virus Jack Ma: he donated to it 100 million yuan (more 1 billion rubles).
In Russia, USM Holdings Alisher Usmanov did 2 billion rubles to the coronavirus control staff: the money goes to purchase remedies for medical workers and volunteers, their transportation, as well as material support for medical staff and individuals, treating and assisting victims of coronavirus.
Gazprom-Media has sent to industrial regions more 1,3 million personal protective equipment for doctors. First, the company made free gas stations in three Siberian cities for ambulances, and then she brought masks, bathrobes, chemical protection suits and gloves in seven regions.
anchorman Andrei Malakhov sent ten oxygen devices and 4000 masks on their small homeland in Apatity. And even a seven year old schoolboy Mark Vasilik from Togliatti, he donated all his accumulated money to the fight against coronavirus - the funds of a small philanthropist were transferred to the fund “Myvmeste2020.rf”.
According to the latest data, in Russia was recorded 4774 new cases of coronavirus infection. Total in the country to 24 April was revealed 62 773 infected, 555 people passed away, a 4891 the sick man recovered.
Author: Evgeny Avramenko; Marat Lashkin
