Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the introduction of national business ombudsman’s office by this December, the Kremlin said on Monday.

“The office of ombudsman defending the rights of entrepreneurs on federal and regional levels must be instituted by December 1, 2012,” Putin’s decree said.

In late April, the aide for former president Dmitry Medvedev, Arkady Dvorkovich, for the first time spoke of the possibility to set up such an office.