Not to argue but to negotiate
14 January 2022 0 comments
More than 120 organizations in St. Petersburg have been included in the list against QR codes in public places, shops and catering, and the leader of the "uprising" is preparing an appeal to Governor Alexander Beglov. The ABN found out from experts what is wrong with the federal bill on the use of QR codes in public places, which is due to be adopted in early February, and why St. Petersburg became the city of catering and services protests, and there was no such precedent in Moscow.
The presentation of a QR code for visiting public places, non-food stores, cafes and restaurants has become mandatory in St. Petersburg since January 2, two days later a number of entrepreneurs organized a boycott of the new restrictive measure. During the week of the existence of the list of enterprises that do not check the QR code, the leader of which was businessman and ex-police officer Alexander Konovalov, 124 enterprises and sole proprietors were included in the list.
While in a number of regions of Russia, citizens and entrepreneurs also expressed dissatisfaction with the introduction of QR codes, an organized group of entrepreneurs announced their refusal to obey in St. Petersburg. Konovalov is being cheered on from all over the country in social networks — his posts have tens of thousands of likes and hundreds of comments. During the validity of QR codes in Moscow in the summer of 2021, no such "uprising" was noticed.
Compensation
"Why did this happen? The fact is that in Moscow, the authorities have relied on a dialogue with business representatives," said Sergey Mironov, vice-president of the All-Russian Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers, an ombudsman in the field of restaurant business. - And before the introduction of codes in June last year, Sergei Sobyanin gathered industry leaders. The restaurateurs were given to understand at the meeting that the measure was temporary, they stipulated approximate deadlines (the company's codes were checked for 2.5 weeks - Ed.), and also discussed subsidies that the business would receive as compensation."
As subsidies, in addition to federal ones, Moscow restaurants received the right to reimbursement for personal protective equipment, compensation for delivery costs, and in the third quarter of 2021, public catering was fully compensated for utilities, Sergey Mironov told ABN. And this is only part of the list of additional municipal subsidies that have given businesses at least some confidence in the future.
No need
"There is no need for an uprising in Moscow," Anastasia Tatulova, public ombudsman for the protection of small and medium—sized businesses, founder of the AnderSon restaurant chain, says in a comment for the ABN.- We try to solve all the difficulties that arise by negotiations. We have a strong department of entrepreneurship, including Natalia Sergunina personally meets with representatives of all industries in crisis situations, when a problematic period begins, we are in daily contact with the Department of Consumer Market, and Alexey Nemeryuk (head of the department — Ed.) personally deals with each case with Rospotrebnadzor himself in difficult cases."
When Sergei Sobyanin introduced codes in the summer, we proved for two weeks with figures that it would kill the industry at that moment, and at first he went to meet with verandas, and then agreed that codes were not the solution, the restaurateur added.
"The industry has suffered very serious losses and Moscow, unlike other regions, is trying to compensate for these losses, at least partially, with subsidies," Anastasia Tatulova continues. – Over the difficult last three years, we have had a normal constructive dialogue, despite the fact that situations are very difficult. I would very much like such a dialogue to be everywhere with the regional and federal authorities, as it is in Moscow and in the Moscow region," the Ombudsman stressed.
Appeal to the Governor
Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of Entrepreneurs in St. Petersburg‑On January 12, Alexander Abrosimov held a meeting with Alexander Konovalov in the presence of the public Ombudsman and the head of the Union of Small Enterprises, Vladimir Menshikov, and the head of the Restograd association, Alexander Ruzhinsky.
As a result of the meeting, Konovalov was asked to state his position in a legal context, and not in an emotional form. It is assumed that such a presentation should encourage the authorities to a constructive dialogue.
"Of course, I consider the restrictions imposed in St. Petersburg illegal–" Alexander Konovalov said in a comment for the ABN, "now lawyers and lawyers are honing the text of the appeal to the governor so that it contains not only my opinion."
According to the businessman, he does not rule out tightening restrictions in response to his own demands – "the government does not know how to talk in another way," the interlocutor of the publication believes.
Konovalov argues his position by the fact that checking QR codes will not leave any opportunities for survival for SMEs, which have already suffered over the past two years. The ruin of businesses will lead to the loss of work of hundreds of thousands of Petersburgers, the coordinator notes. In addition, the businessman calls the measure introduced on January 2 unacceptable and calls the "segregation" of the population in the city that survived the blockade.
List
At the time of publication of the material, 124 organizations are listed in the so-called "Konovalov list", most of which are shot glasses, bars, hookah bars, public spaces ("Wing" and "Third Cluster"). Also, enterprises that are not obliged to do this under Resolution 121, for example, barbershops, signed up to the refusal to check the codes from visitors. In addition, the list includes an object that has placed a list of services provided next to its own name, which involuntarily suggests an attempt by some of the list participants to use it as an advertising platform.
The list also includes ceramic tile studios, furniture, dentistry, auto repair, equestrian club, flower shop, construction company and architectural bureau.
Recall that it was Konovalov who, during the first lockdown in December 2020, acted as the organizer of the "resistance map", on which bars that refused to comply with restrictive measures were applied. Now applications for the list are checked by moderators, previously it was possible to put the institution on the map yourself.
Opinion of business and social activists
Natalia Goryachaya, a lawyer and head of the intersectoral expert group in the entrepreneurial council of the SME Corporation, believes that there are more visitors and more indifference in the capital, because such an association is impossible. In addition, there are more law enforcement agencies that will instantly suppress the riot.
"And there is no leader of the movement in the capital. In general, the protest dynamics are not predictable. We do not know what and where will cross the line of no return, and what it will be," the expert says.
Sergey Zhilkin, co-founder of the Pitas network, noted that attendance suffers in institutions – there are noticeably fewer people after the New Year.
"In general, of course, this whole situation really hits business. Revenue has dropped a lot. And against the background of explosive growth in food prices, staff shortages, the economy suffers greatly at catering enterprises. Many enterprises in the industry are at a loss," says the restaurateur. – We have about 250 angry comments under the post on Instagram about QR codes, that we are "fascists", and that no one else is coming to us. People are sensitive to the verification process itself. They don't like being tested."
European examples
The president of the All-Russian Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers (FRiO) Igor Bukharov, in an interview with the ABN, notes one of the measures to support business during strict restrictions in Europe.
"In Germany, in the summer of 2021, they even blocked small streets from the passage of vehicles to allow restaurants to work if it was not possible to make a summer cafe—" the source of the publication gave an example. - Restaurateurs set up tables to block the street and received guests at them. Similar rules were in effect during the introduction of codes in Moscow: then, in order to sit down at a table on the terrace, a certificate was not required. Then a certain percentage of the takeaways to restaurants with seats on the streets managed to be saved, and the lockdown hit mainly the establishments located in the shopping center."
Recall that a year ago, during the New Year holidays, when the service inside restaurants was prohibited, the authorities of St. Petersburg took a step towards business, allowing furniture to be put on the street. The idea of January terraces in St. Petersburg then made many people smile, but the restaurateurs noted the step taken towards them. This year, no special support measures are provided in connection with the introduction of codes.
Points above i
It is worth adding that in November 2021, the Government of the Russian Federation submitted to the State Duma a bill that presupposes the introduction of QR codes for visiting public places. The document was adopted in the first reading in December, edits and proposals to the draft law are accepted until February 1, then the date of the second reading will be set.
Supporters of the abolition of the code system insist that the need to present QR codes allegedly violates the constitutional rights of citizens, including Article 27 on the right to move freely on the territory of the Russian Federation, part 1 of Article 23 on the right of citizens to privacy, as well as part 1 of Article 24 on the collection, storage and use of information about the private life of a person without his consent, and a number of other articles of the Constitution. The federal law will put the dots over I in this situation.
The presentation of a QR code for visiting public places, non-food stores, cafes and restaurants has become mandatory in St. Petersburg since January 2, two days later a number of entrepreneurs organized a boycott of the new restrictive measure. During the week of the existence of the list of enterprises that do not check the QR code, the leader of which was businessman and ex-police officer Alexander Konovalov, 124 enterprises and sole proprietors were included in the list.
While in a number of regions of Russia, citizens and entrepreneurs also expressed dissatisfaction with the introduction of QR codes, an organized group of entrepreneurs announced their refusal to obey in St. Petersburg. Konovalov is being cheered on from all over the country in social networks — his posts have tens of thousands of likes and hundreds of comments. During the validity of QR codes in Moscow in the summer of 2021, no such "uprising" was noticed.
Compensation
"Why did this happen? The fact is that in Moscow, the authorities have relied on a dialogue with business representatives," said Sergey Mironov, vice-president of the All-Russian Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers, an ombudsman in the field of restaurant business. - And before the introduction of codes in June last year, Sergei Sobyanin gathered industry leaders. The restaurateurs were given to understand at the meeting that the measure was temporary, they stipulated approximate deadlines (the company's codes were checked for 2.5 weeks - Ed.), and also discussed subsidies that the business would receive as compensation."
As subsidies, in addition to federal ones, Moscow restaurants received the right to reimbursement for personal protective equipment, compensation for delivery costs, and in the third quarter of 2021, public catering was fully compensated for utilities, Sergey Mironov told ABN. And this is only part of the list of additional municipal subsidies that have given businesses at least some confidence in the future.
No need
"There is no need for an uprising in Moscow," Anastasia Tatulova, public ombudsman for the protection of small and medium—sized businesses, founder of the AnderSon restaurant chain, says in a comment for the ABN.- We try to solve all the difficulties that arise by negotiations. We have a strong department of entrepreneurship, including Natalia Sergunina personally meets with representatives of all industries in crisis situations, when a problematic period begins, we are in daily contact with the Department of Consumer Market, and Alexey Nemeryuk (head of the department — Ed.) personally deals with each case with Rospotrebnadzor himself in difficult cases."
When Sergei Sobyanin introduced codes in the summer, we proved for two weeks with figures that it would kill the industry at that moment, and at first he went to meet with verandas, and then agreed that codes were not the solution, the restaurateur added.
"The industry has suffered very serious losses and Moscow, unlike other regions, is trying to compensate for these losses, at least partially, with subsidies," Anastasia Tatulova continues. – Over the difficult last three years, we have had a normal constructive dialogue, despite the fact that situations are very difficult. I would very much like such a dialogue to be everywhere with the regional and federal authorities, as it is in Moscow and in the Moscow region," the Ombudsman stressed.
Appeal to the Governor
Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of Entrepreneurs in St. Petersburg‑On January 12, Alexander Abrosimov held a meeting with Alexander Konovalov in the presence of the public Ombudsman and the head of the Union of Small Enterprises, Vladimir Menshikov, and the head of the Restograd association, Alexander Ruzhinsky.
As a result of the meeting, Konovalov was asked to state his position in a legal context, and not in an emotional form. It is assumed that such a presentation should encourage the authorities to a constructive dialogue.
"Of course, I consider the restrictions imposed in St. Petersburg illegal–" Alexander Konovalov said in a comment for the ABN, "now lawyers and lawyers are honing the text of the appeal to the governor so that it contains not only my opinion."
According to the businessman, he does not rule out tightening restrictions in response to his own demands – "the government does not know how to talk in another way," the interlocutor of the publication believes.
Konovalov argues his position by the fact that checking QR codes will not leave any opportunities for survival for SMEs, which have already suffered over the past two years. The ruin of businesses will lead to the loss of work of hundreds of thousands of Petersburgers, the coordinator notes. In addition, the businessman calls the measure introduced on January 2 unacceptable and calls the "segregation" of the population in the city that survived the blockade.
List
At the time of publication of the material, 124 organizations are listed in the so-called "Konovalov list", most of which are shot glasses, bars, hookah bars, public spaces ("Wing" and "Third Cluster"). Also, enterprises that are not obliged to do this under Resolution 121, for example, barbershops, signed up to the refusal to check the codes from visitors. In addition, the list includes an object that has placed a list of services provided next to its own name, which involuntarily suggests an attempt by some of the list participants to use it as an advertising platform.
The list also includes ceramic tile studios, furniture, dentistry, auto repair, equestrian club, flower shop, construction company and architectural bureau.
Recall that it was Konovalov who, during the first lockdown in December 2020, acted as the organizer of the "resistance map", on which bars that refused to comply with restrictive measures were applied. Now applications for the list are checked by moderators, previously it was possible to put the institution on the map yourself.
Opinion of business and social activists
Natalia Goryachaya, a lawyer and head of the intersectoral expert group in the entrepreneurial council of the SME Corporation, believes that there are more visitors and more indifference in the capital, because such an association is impossible. In addition, there are more law enforcement agencies that will instantly suppress the riot.
"And there is no leader of the movement in the capital. In general, the protest dynamics are not predictable. We do not know what and where will cross the line of no return, and what it will be," the expert says.
Sergey Zhilkin, co-founder of the Pitas network, noted that attendance suffers in institutions – there are noticeably fewer people after the New Year.
"In general, of course, this whole situation really hits business. Revenue has dropped a lot. And against the background of explosive growth in food prices, staff shortages, the economy suffers greatly at catering enterprises. Many enterprises in the industry are at a loss," says the restaurateur. – We have about 250 angry comments under the post on Instagram about QR codes, that we are "fascists", and that no one else is coming to us. People are sensitive to the verification process itself. They don't like being tested."
European examples
The president of the All-Russian Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers (FRiO) Igor Bukharov, in an interview with the ABN, notes one of the measures to support business during strict restrictions in Europe.
"In Germany, in the summer of 2021, they even blocked small streets from the passage of vehicles to allow restaurants to work if it was not possible to make a summer cafe—" the source of the publication gave an example. - Restaurateurs set up tables to block the street and received guests at them. Similar rules were in effect during the introduction of codes in Moscow: then, in order to sit down at a table on the terrace, a certificate was not required. Then a certain percentage of the takeaways to restaurants with seats on the streets managed to be saved, and the lockdown hit mainly the establishments located in the shopping center."
Recall that a year ago, during the New Year holidays, when the service inside restaurants was prohibited, the authorities of St. Petersburg took a step towards business, allowing furniture to be put on the street. The idea of January terraces in St. Petersburg then made many people smile, but the restaurateurs noted the step taken towards them. This year, no special support measures are provided in connection with the introduction of codes.
Points above i
It is worth adding that in November 2021, the Government of the Russian Federation submitted to the State Duma a bill that presupposes the introduction of QR codes for visiting public places. The document was adopted in the first reading in December, edits and proposals to the draft law are accepted until February 1, then the date of the second reading will be set.
Supporters of the abolition of the code system insist that the need to present QR codes allegedly violates the constitutional rights of citizens, including Article 27 on the right to move freely on the territory of the Russian Federation, part 1 of Article 23 on the right of citizens to privacy, as well as part 1 of Article 24 on the collection, storage and use of information about the private life of a person without his consent, and a number of other articles of the Constitution. The federal law will put the dots over I in this situation.