Rozanova L.I. On changes in legal boundaries at the microfinance market in the condition of a crisis

Abstract: The needs of the population bring to life the necessity of developing a competitive market of financial services that, however, should not permit suppression of regional banks and other structures engaged in save-and-loan activity, by large credit and financial institutions. Upgrading the efficiency of economy implies freedom of entrepreneurship and development of various types of property. Freedom that liberates an individual’s entrepreneurial initiative should be backed with possibility of realization – first of all, availability of resources (including credits); otherwise, it would have rather negative than positive effects. Moreover, competition endows an owner of free monetary resources with a possibility to place them in a business where their safety and purchasing power is best ensured. Development of the market of microfinance services, which is an inalienable part of a financial market, is currently becoming one of the main conditions of forming a competitive landscape. One of the most crucial problems here is providing the reliability of regional financial institutions. Aiming at that, the Central Bank of Russia is toughening its requirements towards all credit and financial institutions, changing the framework of their activities. The article analyzes conditions for forming organizations that provide microfinance services. The author aims at outlining the role of institutions of micro-financing in the development of the economic potential of regions and municipalities. Particular attention is attached to the role of credit cooperation. The author uses the deductive method and the method of comparative analysis of historic realia. He bases on the evolutionary theory, with adherence to the concept of stadial typology of economic development. The novelty of the author’s approach is his suggestion to estimate the market of microfinance services from the position of the interests of regions and municipal units and not of the entire Russia’s market.  The article gives proofs of the necessity to develop microfinance institutions that directly influence social and economic development of a region. Comparing the conditions of functioning of banks and microfinance structures under the Russian government’s current policy, the author comes to the conclusion of small effectiveness of the current approach of Russia’s Central Bank towards controlling both large and small financial and credit institutions. The results of the author’s analysis show that the government’s management has created several competitive advantages to large structures, to the disadvantage of small ones, and that the competitive landscape needs several corrections.

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