Page "History of the Soviet Union (1982–1991)" Paragraph 22

The Law on Cooperatives enacted in May 1988 was perhaps the most radical of the economic reforms during the early part of the Gorbachev era.

For the first time since Vladimir Lenin's New Economic Policy, the law permitted private ownership of businesses in the services, manufacturing, and foreign-trade sectors.

Under this provision, cooperative restaurants, shops, and manufacturers became part of the Soviet scene.