He noted that such measures are akin to "slaughtering a cash cow for meat," meaning that instead of focusing on sustainable revenue, the state is trying to achieve a quick but short-term effect, which ultimately benefits no one.
Grashchenkov emphasized that consumers paying higher taxes are the ones who lose the most, and the state won't be able to "milk" such a "cow" for long. He added that increasing the recycling fee and other taxes, such as personal income tax and VAT on imported goods, are unlikely to help develop small and medium businesses. On the contrary, people will buy fewer cars and become poorer, according to FederalPress.
The situation will worsen for small and medium businesses: companies will reduce their vehicle fleets and stop updating them. He also recommended recalling Cuba, where people still drive cars from the 1940s, which is acceptable in a warm climate, unlike Russia, where old cars quickly break down. People will drive rusty and unreliable cars, which will increase the accident rate.
He also noted that wealthy individuals will be able to pay higher taxes, while those less affluent will be forced to buy Chinese cars with low levels of localization, which generates revenue for foreign manufacturers rather than for the Russian budget. However, such protectionism toward Chinese goods raises questions.
Responding to a question about the connection between tax increases and governors' achievement of performance indicators for the development of small and medium-sized businesses, the political scientist stated that there is no connection. Governors, in his opinion, will be unable to influence many indicators, such as demographics, and are forced to either artificially "play with the numbers" or focus on more realistic and pressing tasks. He also noted that small and medium businesses in Russia play a lesser role compared to large state-owned companies, and the fate of such businesses largely depends on the entrepreneurs themselves.
Regarding the Far East, Grashchenkov emphasized that the region is significantly different from the rest of Russia. Different car import schemes are common there—mainly Chinese and Japanese—due to its geographical location. The region is also more dependent on small and medium-sized businesses: fishing, intraregional logistics, and local retail chains—all sectors actively represented by SMEs.
The political scientist noted that the Far East has already begun protesting the recent increase in the recycling fee and is determined to resist such government measures. He believes that due to the remoteness and historical specifics of local regulations, residents of the region are unwilling to sit idly by and are prepared to stage protests.
Ultimately, he suggested that the tax increase could worsen the Far East's already difficult situation and widen the gap with the central regions. Therefore, federal officials may make concessions—introducing transition periods, softening rates, or even repealing the increase entirely for the region. He explained that there simply aren't enough residents there to receive significant revenue from the increased fee, and the negative consequences for the region would be far greater.