Representatives of Vitebsk took part in the Assembly of Business Circles in Minsk
Problems, solutions, and development prospects for the business community are reflected in the "National Business Platform of Belarus – 2014", adopted at the Assembly of Business Circles in Minsk.
The Assembly annually serves as an effective platform for dialogue between business, government, and society. However, this year the number of participants significantly increased: in addition to businessmen, representatives of ministries, departments, supervisory bodies, deputies, bailiffs, diplomats, and members of foreign business communities were present. The audience also expanded thanks to the first-ever online broadcast on the Internet, which could be viewed by partners from over 400 business associations in 50 countries, including the USA, the UK, Japan, and several others.
As reported by Vladimir Karyagin, Chairman of the Presidium of the Republican Confederation of Entrepreneurship, the platform draft has been revised 12 times in the last two months. The document was posted on over 90 websites, allowing many citizens to join the discussion and actively send their questions and proposals. Government bodies also participated in the discussion: the State Control Committee, the Ministry of Trade, and the Ministry of Economy, headed by Nikolay Snapkov, who led the working group for the platform's preparation.
– We observe an increasing role of small and medium-sized businesses in the country's economy, their regionalization, meaning the development of entrepreneurship in small towns, and a growth in employment within this segment. This is the result of consistent systemic work by the government and business associations, but this outcome is not enough, – believes the Minister of Economy. According to Nikolay Snapkov, the mechanism for identifying and resolving business problems should be as follows: business association – regional authorities – government. The principle should be joint efforts, not mutual accusations.
The past year was not easy for the country's economy, as everyone acknowledged. At the same time, out of 107 issues identified in the 2013 platform, almost half have been removed from the agenda or are in the process of being resolved. More than 300 "round tables", seminars, and conferences on aspects relevant to business have been held, meaning that entrepreneurs' problems were discussed almost every day. The business community welcomed the adopted antimonopoly law and the trade law, which create equal opportunities for state-owned and private economic entities. However, businessmen note that such a significant document as Presidential Decree No. 4 is often not implemented in practice. There are many inconsistencies in the legislation that hinder the development of enterprises. Senator, member of the Republican Council for Entrepreneurship Development, General Director of the footwear holding "Marco" Nikolai Martynov also faced this. Delays in the reconstruction of the fur factory and the creation of a leather and footwear holding arise from discrepancies in legislation, despite the fact that a Presidential decree has been signed and every step has been thought out. As for the platform, Nikolai Martynov noted that even if 20% of the issues reflected in the document are implemented, it will already be a success for Belarusian business. The senator considers high credit rates to be the main problem for domestic entrepreneurs.
This was also noted by many speakers. The inaccessibility of credit resources does not allow for the implementation of new projects. Representatives of the confederation of entrepreneurs have sent their proposals to the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus. The current pain points for business also include monopolization in decision-making, high rental costs, a lack of qualified labor resources, and a mismatch between training and the needs of the modern market.
(In the photo) Press briefing: representatives of Vitebsk region business – General Director of Allianceplast LLC Nikolai Silinov and General Director of Marko footwear holding Nikolai Martynov, as well as Chairman of the Presidium of the Republican Confederation of Entrepreneurship Vladimir Karyagin.
Olga Maslovskaya, "Vitebskiye Vesti"