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Restructuring of enterprise social assets in Russia : trends, problems, possible solutions

Author

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  • Freinkman, Lev M.
  • Starodubrovskaya, Irina
Abstract
Public enterprises in the formerly socialist countries have provided many social services to employees and the public, services that divert them from their core activities, raise their costs, and keep them from being competitive. How to deal with these social assets is a major problem in enterprise restructuring: large insolvent enterprises that provide many social services in a community often have the bargaining power to delay bankruptcy procedures and force the state to continue subsidizing them. But users of social services are not protected from enterprise managers'arbitrary actions or from a general deterioration in the level of services provided. As enterprises are restructured, the public sector must become involved in: 1) protecting critical services, such as kindergarten, that might otherwise disappear as enterprise funding is reduced; 2) facilitating reform of housing and health services, among others; 3) guaranteeing citizens'access to public services; and 4) reducing costs by rationalizing the management and provision of services. The authors analyze policy options in the restructuring of enterprises'social assets. They argue that the options differ depending on the benefits. Some benefits should remain as part of a traditional labor compensation package, and others should be privatized or transferred to municipal governments. Housing, especially, and child care facilities are services enterprises should not be in the business of providing.Divesting enterprises of housing is a transitional strategy on the way to transferring its ownership and management to the private sector. Unfortunately, the rules of the game under which municipal governments divest enterprises of housing are nontransparent and entirely under municipal control, and vested interests have many ways to postpone or block divestiture - even though most enterprise managers welcome it because it will reduce their costs and administrative burden. Social spending by Russian enterprises represents as much as 20 percent of gross wage costs. Shifting and reducing those costs requires smart financial and tax planning, sound regulations, and housing reform (including greater cost recovery), among other things.

Suggested Citation

  • Freinkman, Lev M. & Starodubrovskaya, Irina, 1996. "Restructuring of enterprise social assets in Russia : trends, problems, possible solutions," Policy Research Working Paper Series 1635, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:1635
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Estrin, Saul & Schaffer, M. E. & Singh, I. J., 1995. "The provision of social benefits in state-owned, privatized and private firms in Poland," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 20780, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    2. S Estrin & M Schaffer & I.J. Singh, 1995. "The Provision of Social Benefits in State Owned," CEP Discussion Papers dp0223, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
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    Cited by:

    1. Tuuli Juurikkala & Olga Lazareva, 2006. "Lobbying at the local level: social assets in Russian firms," Working Papers w0061, Center for Economic and Financial Research (CEFIR).
    2. Tuuli Juurikkala & Olga Lazareva, 2004. "To Divest or not to Divest? Social Assets in Russian Firms," ERSA conference papers ersa04p637, European Regional Science Association.
    3. Lev Freinkman & Gohar Gyulumyan & Artak Kyurumyan, 2003. "Quasi-Fiscal Activities, Hidden Government Subsidies, and Fiscal Adjustment in Armenia," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 15074.
    4. Clas Wihlborg, 2002. "Insolvency and Debt Recovery Procedures in Economic Development: An Overview of African Law," WIDER Working Paper Series DP2002-27, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    5. repec:zbw:bofitp:2006_001 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Juurikkala, Tuuli & Lazareva, Olga, 2006. "Lobbying at the local level: social assets in Russian firms," BOFIT Discussion Papers 1/2006, Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT).
    7. Philipp Schröder, 2003. "Insider Privatisation and Restructuring Incentives," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 36(4), pages 333-349, December.
    8. Martha de Melo & Gur Ofer & Plamen Yossifov, 2003. "Transition in Regional Capitals along the Volga," Public Economics 0302010, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Schröder, Philipp J.H., 2000. "On Privatisation and Restructuring," MPRA Paper 89, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2006.
    10. Tuuli Juurikkala & Olga Lazareva, 2006. "Lobbying at the local level: social assets in Russian firms," Working Papers w0061, Center for Economic and Financial Research (CEFIR).

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