Regulating the digital economy: problems and prospects
16 February 2018
The session ‘Regulating the Digital Economy: Problems and Prospects’ was held on 16 February as part of the Russian Investment Forum.
In his opening remarks, moderator Sergei Plugotarenko, Director of the Russian Association for Electronic Communications (RAEC), noted that, in recent years, digital technologies had been increasingly penetrating into all spheres of life. The government and society can communicate intensively using such technologies. Digital technologies and the digital economy are a powerful driver for all development processes in the Russian economy.
The moderator reminded the participants that, in his annual address to the Federal Assembly on 1 December 2016, President Vladimir Putin offered to “launch a large-scale systemic programme to develop the economy of a new technological generation, a so-called digital economy.” The President stressed that “this is an issue of national security and technological independence of Russia, in the full sense – our future.”
For the purposes of implementing the Strategy for the Development of an Information Society in the Russian Federation for 2017–2030, as approved by Presidential Decree No. 203 dated 9 May 2017 and Government Resolution No. 1632-r dated 28 July 2017, the programme ‘Digital Economy of the Russian Federation’ was approved.
Since 2010, the Russian Association for Electronic Communications has been estimating the pace at which the digital economy is developing. Since 2014, not only the Internet but also online markets have been analysed as well, that is, the entire ecosystem of the digital economy. An ecosystem embraces those markets and segments of the economy where added value is created with the help of digital information technologies.
As estimated by RAEC, the accumulated contribution of digital technologies to the Russian economy stands at around 5.0% of GDP (RUB 5 trillion) with an annual projected growth of 10–12%, Mr. Plugotarenko reported.
Anticipating the debate, the moderator asked the panellists to give a brief definition of the term ‘digital economy.’ According to RAEC, digital economy means markets where added value is created with the help of digital technologies.
Kirill Varlamov, Head of the Internet Initiatives Development Fund (IIDF), believes there is no separate digital economy as such. Tomorrow, the entire economy will be digitalized and all business will be digital. This is a new industrialization.
Maxim Shereykin, General Director of the Agency for Technological Development, gave the following definition: “Digital economy is added value based on digital technologies.”
Anton Drozdov, Chairman of the Board of the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation, agreed with the previous speaker and added: “Digital economy is added value based on digital technologies and related industries.”
Denis Vasiliev, Deputy Head of the Federal Service for Labour and Employment (Rostrud), defines digital economy as an economy regulated with the help of digital technologies, including relevant markets.
Ildar Gabdrahmanov, Deputy Governor of the Moscow Region, gave his definition: “Digital economy means rejection of any hard copies both inside and outside the system.”
Roman Shaykhutdinov, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan and Minister of Informatization and Communications of the Republic of Tatarstan, expressed his opinion: “Digital economy means not just technologies but also the condition of public relations aimed at maximum use of digital technologies for creating new relations and markets.”
Evgeniy Kovnir, General Director of Digital Economy, defines a digital economy as an economy of data and its digital processing, leading to higher labour productivity in the existing economy, appearance of new markets, business models and services.”
Savva Shipov, Deputy Minister for Economic Development of the Russian Federation, argues that digital economy has a much broader meaning than normally associated with the term ‘economy.’ It also covers state administration, medicine, education and many other things. Traditionally, we understand ‘digital economy’ as all social relations subjected to digitalization. However, this is not just digitalization, not simply informatization of some processes but work with data and its processing in such a way as to produce a multiplicative effect.
Igor Drozdov, Chairman of the Board of the Skolkovo Foundation, believes that digital economy means relations in the digital sphere. And dividing the economy into digital and non-digital is artificial.
Ruslan Ibragimov Member of the Management Board and Vice-President for Corporate and Legal Affairs at MTS, offered his vision: “Digital economy means work with data and remote civil commerce.”
The panellists voiced their vision of the problems related to the digitalization of the economy and the legal framework for its regulation. The main idea of a digital economy is to provide business and people with opportunities they did not have before (artificial intelligence, unmanned transport, telemedicine, the Internet of Things, etc.). Who will be the rightful owner of artificial intelligence? How can the problem of remote identification be solved? These questions must be answered today, the discussion participants believe.
A digital economy requires a thorough legal reform. About 50 packages of legislative measures will be prepared over the next two years to remove the key barriers. This is a priority, the experts think.
An inter-departmental “sandbox” must be created for comprehensive work in this sphere. The modern world needs flexible and dynamic legislation to keep up with the times.
Electronic documents must take priority, while paper documents should be of secondary importance. Accordingly, the legislation on archives will have to be amended, too. Storage of big data in electronic form, its protection and access to it remain an open question.
The panellists agreed that it was necessary to improve coordination among government agencies and interested structures with regard to digitalization of the economy, while also enhancing the competence of the authorities at all levels in this sphere and training a new breed of staff.
In his opening remarks, moderator Sergei Plugotarenko, Director of the Russian Association for Electronic Communications (RAEC), noted that, in recent years, digital technologies had been increasingly penetrating into all spheres of life. The government and society can communicate intensively using such technologies. Digital technologies and the digital economy are a powerful driver for all development processes in the Russian economy.
The moderator reminded the participants that, in his annual address to the Federal Assembly on 1 December 2016, President Vladimir Putin offered to “launch a large-scale systemic programme to develop the economy of a new technological generation, a so-called digital economy.” The President stressed that “this is an issue of national security and technological independence of Russia, in the full sense – our future.”
For the purposes of implementing the Strategy for the Development of an Information Society in the Russian Federation for 2017–2030, as approved by Presidential Decree No. 203 dated 9 May 2017 and Government Resolution No. 1632-r dated 28 July 2017, the programme ‘Digital Economy of the Russian Federation’ was approved.
Since 2010, the Russian Association for Electronic Communications has been estimating the pace at which the digital economy is developing. Since 2014, not only the Internet but also online markets have been analysed as well, that is, the entire ecosystem of the digital economy. An ecosystem embraces those markets and segments of the economy where added value is created with the help of digital information technologies.
As estimated by RAEC, the accumulated contribution of digital technologies to the Russian economy stands at around 5.0% of GDP (RUB 5 trillion) with an annual projected growth of 10–12%, Mr. Plugotarenko reported.
Anticipating the debate, the moderator asked the panellists to give a brief definition of the term ‘digital economy.’ According to RAEC, digital economy means markets where added value is created with the help of digital technologies.
Kirill Varlamov, Head of the Internet Initiatives Development Fund (IIDF), believes there is no separate digital economy as such. Tomorrow, the entire economy will be digitalized and all business will be digital. This is a new industrialization.
Maxim Shereykin, General Director of the Agency for Technological Development, gave the following definition: “Digital economy is added value based on digital technologies.”
Anton Drozdov, Chairman of the Board of the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation, agreed with the previous speaker and added: “Digital economy is added value based on digital technologies and related industries.”
Denis Vasiliev, Deputy Head of the Federal Service for Labour and Employment (Rostrud), defines digital economy as an economy regulated with the help of digital technologies, including relevant markets.
Ildar Gabdrahmanov, Deputy Governor of the Moscow Region, gave his definition: “Digital economy means rejection of any hard copies both inside and outside the system.”
Roman Shaykhutdinov, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan and Minister of Informatization and Communications of the Republic of Tatarstan, expressed his opinion: “Digital economy means not just technologies but also the condition of public relations aimed at maximum use of digital technologies for creating new relations and markets.”
Evgeniy Kovnir, General Director of Digital Economy, defines a digital economy as an economy of data and its digital processing, leading to higher labour productivity in the existing economy, appearance of new markets, business models and services.”
Savva Shipov, Deputy Minister for Economic Development of the Russian Federation, argues that digital economy has a much broader meaning than normally associated with the term ‘economy.’ It also covers state administration, medicine, education and many other things. Traditionally, we understand ‘digital economy’ as all social relations subjected to digitalization. However, this is not just digitalization, not simply informatization of some processes but work with data and its processing in such a way as to produce a multiplicative effect.
Igor Drozdov, Chairman of the Board of the Skolkovo Foundation, believes that digital economy means relations in the digital sphere. And dividing the economy into digital and non-digital is artificial.
Ruslan Ibragimov Member of the Management Board and Vice-President for Corporate and Legal Affairs at MTS, offered his vision: “Digital economy means work with data and remote civil commerce.”
The panellists voiced their vision of the problems related to the digitalization of the economy and the legal framework for its regulation. The main idea of a digital economy is to provide business and people with opportunities they did not have before (artificial intelligence, unmanned transport, telemedicine, the Internet of Things, etc.). Who will be the rightful owner of artificial intelligence? How can the problem of remote identification be solved? These questions must be answered today, the discussion participants believe.
A digital economy requires a thorough legal reform. About 50 packages of legislative measures will be prepared over the next two years to remove the key barriers. This is a priority, the experts think.
An inter-departmental “sandbox” must be created for comprehensive work in this sphere. The modern world needs flexible and dynamic legislation to keep up with the times.
Electronic documents must take priority, while paper documents should be of secondary importance. Accordingly, the legislation on archives will have to be amended, too. Storage of big data in electronic form, its protection and access to it remain an open question.
The panellists agreed that it was necessary to improve coordination among government agencies and interested structures with regard to digitalization of the economy, while also enhancing the competence of the authorities at all levels in this sphere and training a new breed of staff.
