In the first quarter, 766 unemployed individuals in Belarus received financial support to start their own businesses

April 26, Minsk /Elena Prus - BELTA/. In January-March, Belarus' State Employment Service assisted 766 unemployed individuals in starting their own businesses (31.9% of the annual target). This was reported to BELTA correspondent by the Main Department of Employment Policy and Demographics of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection. The largest number of aspiring entrepreneurs who received financial support to start their businesses was in the Vitebsk region (197 people). The city of Minsk ranked last among the country's regions (53 people). The highest percentage of the annual target fulfillment was in the Minsk region (43.5%). The implementation of this initiative contributes to reducing labor market tensions. Aspiring entrepreneurs predominantly wish to engage in trade, freight transportation, advertising, construction and repair services, carpentry and joinery, provision of household services, including hairdressing and funeral services, as well as sewing and repairing clothes and footwear, and repairing household appliances. The mechanism for providing financial support to unemployed individuals for starting their own businesses has been in place in Belarus for several years. In 2008, 2.7 thousand unemployed individuals received this support. This year, financial support is planned for 2.4 thousand unemployed individuals to organize entrepreneurial activities and develop self-employment (primarily in the service sector), based on preliminary assessment of their business qualities, counseling, and training. Financial support is allocated to the unemployed from the state off-budgetary Social Protection Fund of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, transferred to local budgets for financing measures to ensure population employment. Labor, employment, and social protection bodies assist unemployed individuals in organizing entrepreneurial activities, taking into account the socio-economic situation and labor market conditions in the country's regions. This assistance includes not only financial support but also organizational and methodological support. This involves informing the unemployed about the procedures and conditions for assistance in starting their own businesses, referring them for vocational training, and helping them prepare the necessary documents to receive subsidies. As previously reported by BELTA, since January 1, 2009, the subsidy amount for rural unemployed individuals starting their own businesses has been increased from 11 to 15 living wages per capita on average. The possibility of allocating subsidies to unemployed individuals who decide to organize businesses not only as individual entrepreneurs or private unitary enterprises but also as peasant (farm) holdings has been provided. The subsidy amount for aspiring farmers depends on their place of residence: if they live in rural areas, they will receive 15 living wages; if they live in small towns and settlements with a consistently high unemployment rate (this list is determined annually by state and regional employment promotion programs), they will also receive 15 living wages; in other cases, they will receive 11 living wages. -0-