The Ministry of Digital Development proposes to make the control of the activities of software developers by Russian persons the priority criterion for inclusion in the register of Russian software instead of the participation share of a Russian person in a software developer (currently it should be at least 50%). Head of the Ministry of Digital Development Maxut Shadayev sent a letter with the related proposal to Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Grigorenko. The proposals have also been sent to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economic Development, which must approve them by May, 20.

According to the document, current regulations do not allow “a fair number of Russian companies” to add their products to the register of Russian software.

According to Anatoly Dyubanov, director of the Digital Economy Development Department of the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry “supports the initiative to clarify the requirements.” This will make it possible to add products of software development companies “whose shares are freely floated on the stock exchange” to the register and will also become an incentive for other companies to enter the stock exchange, Dyubanov explained.

In 2021, the Ministry of Digital Development already proposed to simplify the inclusion of software in the register for developers whose head offices are located abroad. However, the Ministry of Economic Development objected to this, pointing out that the amendments can make the public sector depend on foreign developers.

The list of Russian IT companies whose shares are traded on the Moscow Exchange includes Yandex (the parent legal entity is registered in the Netherlands), VK, Positive Technologies, MTS and others.