Vitebsk region's business entities increased their export volume by almost a third in 2010

April 1, Vitebsk / Sergey Kotovets - BELTA /. In 2010, small and medium-sized businesses in the Vitebsk region increased their investment in production development by 7.3% to Br568 billion, which accounted for about 10% of the total investment in the region. This was announced today by Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee Oleg Matskevich at the awards ceremony for the winners and laureates of the regional competition "Best Entrepreneur of the Year," according to a BELTA correspondent. According to the Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, entrepreneurship is a promising and developing sector, and its role and significance in the socio-economic complex of each district and the region as a whole are constantly growing. Today, 107,000 people are employed in the non-state sector of the economy, or more than 18% of the employed population in the region. In 2010 alone, about 19,000 jobs were created in the private sector, which accounted for 75% of those created in the region. There are 8.2 thousand small and medium-sized enterprises operating in the region, and about 29.5 thousand individual entrepreneurs are working. The entrepreneurial sector accounts for about 3% of the industrial production volume, 8% of the consumer goods production volume, almost 30% of retail turnover, and about 42% of household services. In 2010, non-state enterprises increased their export volume by 28%, bringing their share in the regional export volume to 22%. According to Oleg Matskevich, the declaration of 2011 as the Year of Entrepreneurship, the adoption of Directive No. 4 and regulatory acts for its development are evidence of the state's close and focused attention on creating favorable conditions for entrepreneurial initiative. In the Year of Entrepreneurship, the region plans to implement ambitious projects to develop infrastructure for supporting private initiative and citizens' business activities. For example, in conjunction with OJSC "Belarusbank," it is planned to begin construction of the Vitebsk Silicon Valley facilities, create and organize the work of the regional innovation center, and also organize training for the unemployed population in the basics of entrepreneurship. "Counting on you, we are confident that the non-state sector of the economy is capable of reaching a new level of development and solving the tasks facing the economy of the region and the country as a whole," the Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee addressed the heads of private enterprises. Oleg Matskevich congratulated the winners and laureates of the competition, who were determined in 11 nominations, and presented them with the honorary sign "Star of Pridvinye," as well as diplomas and commemorative souvenirs. Based on the results of 2010, the best producer of consumer goods was recognized as ChUPP "VitMa" (Vitebsk), industrial goods - OOO "Multidisciplinary NPP" Elektropribor "(Vitebsk), food products - SOOO "Vitkonprodukt" (Vitebsk). In the construction sector, the winner was ChUP "Valpi" (Glubokoe), trade - ChUP "Menelai" (Braslav). The best organization with foreign investment was named IchUPP "Vitella" (Vitebsk), the best exporter - SOOO "LLK-Naftan" (Novopolotsk), the best organizer of new jobs - ChPUP "Postavsky Furniture Center." The winner in the service sector was OOO "Telekom-Garant" (Orsha). The best infrastructure entity for supporting and developing entrepreneurship was recognized as the Novopolotsk Center for Entrepreneurship and Real Estate, the best bank for providing services to entrepreneurs was the branch No. 5 of SOAO "Belgazprombank" (Vitebsk). -0-