Vitebsk entrepreneurs discussed business development issues with parliamentarians
While for some members of the upper house, legislative activity is new, as for Yury Derkach and Elena Pantyukhova, the lower house deputy Alexander Tsetsoho has considerable experience in this matter, being in parliament for the second term. In the current convocation, Tatyana Starinskaya and Vasily Chekan have already managed to work and gain certain experience. But for everyone present at the meeting, as they later admitted, it was equally important to hear what concerns business and how existing problems can be solved at the legislative level, which would contribute to the development of the economy and people's employment.
The meeting was opened by Chairman of the Association of Employers and Entrepreneurs of the region, Nikolai Silinov. He recalled how in early January, a Vitebsk resident won against the experts of "What? Where? When?" by asking them a question about entrepreneurs.
– "Some see him as a wolf that needs to be killed. Others see him as a cow that can be milked endlessly. And few see him for what he really is – a horse pulling a cart. Who was Winston Churchill talking about like this?" Yes, about entrepreneurs. Times change, but the words are still relevant today. But we are ready to work together to find ways that will help the socio-economic development of the state and increase the role of business in it," noted Nikolai Mikhailovich.
Lately, more and more attention has been paid in the country to the development of small and medium-sized businesses, and there is an understanding that in difficult economic times, it can become a unique driving force. The President repeatedly speaks about this: today, the focus should be on the private sector. At the same time, some issues remain unresolved year after year and truly hinder the development of entrepreneurship.
– As a result, statistics show that
The number of small and medium-sized businesses is decreasing, which means a loss of taxes and jobs. In essence, there is a trend that goes against the directives of the President and the government, said **Nina Lukyanova, Executive Director of the association**. Why is this happening? Answers and solutions need to be sought at many levels, and one of them is lawmaking. The regulatory framework is decent, as noted by both deputies and businessmen, but it still needs improvement based on practical application. In particular, Vitebsk entrepreneurs believe that a separate law on public associations of employers is necessary. "Currently, the cat lovers' society and the entrepreneurs' association are governed by the same rules and have equal rights," noted **Nikolai Silinov**. "Many countries, including Russia, have a law on public associations of employers, which was adopted in 2002. Such a regulatory act here would also help solve many issues." "Is a fundamentally new document needed, or will it be a compilation of existing ones? Who should initiate the draft law, and what budget is required for it? These questions must be answered clearly first, considering the procedure for creating regulatory acts. Perhaps it makes sense to amend the existing law on public associations?" suggested **Alexander Tsetsoho**. The topic requires detailed consideration. Entrepreneurs are concerned about the fact that the "Budget" law provides for the planning of revenue from fines. "If you violate, you are responsible, but the plan directs the inspecting bodies towards sanctions," is convinced Nina Georgievna. "This helps to predict what the income will be, in order to take the amount into account when planning expenses. But in general, the issue is very serious, it also concerns budgetary organizations, and its solution needs to be worked out," noted **Yuri Derkach**. According to the business community, Article of the Civil Code "Violation of trade and service rules for the population" needs improvement. In particular, it is proposed not to applyadditional penalty in the form of confiscation of goods and revenue in case no property damage is caused to the state or other persons.The practical implications of this were confirmed by a specific example: the bankruptcy of one of Vitebsk's business entities due to the processing of goods movement waybills directly within the enterprise's premises, which caused no financial losses to the state. A fine should be imposed, but confiscation of property in such cases is absurd. Some points of the regulation on payment of contributions to the Social Protection Fund of the Population also cause difficulties and ambiguities. Tatiana Starinskaya clarified some nuances here.
In addition, entrepreneurs voiced a long-standing grievance: unaffordable rent rates in some regions, and bureaucratic delays that lead to financial losses for enterprises and reduced budget revenues.
As Vasily Chekan rightly noted, all issues raised during the meeting should have been heard by local authorities, tax authorities, and representatives of the social protection fund. They can, within their purview, make proposals for amendments to regulatory legal acts and need to be aware of existing difficulties.
To avoid possible negative consequences of lawmaking, businessmen propose to introduce the practice of assessing the impact of each draft regulatory legal act on the conditions of entrepreneurial activity, with public discussion and mandatory involvement of business representatives.
– Laws are written at the top, but it is necessary to know what is happening on the ground – said the attending members of the association, with which, of course, the representatives of the parliament agreed.
– A good conversation and discussion took place. In the process of work, everyone encounters a lot of nuances that ultimately affect budget revenues, and therefore, the well-being of the state. We would like to see these problems and specific real-life examples somewhere on the website in the public domain, so that we can summarize and take this experience into account – summed up Yuri Derkach.
The association promised to work on the issue, and for now, it has been decided to hold such meetings periodically to help each other.
Olga MASLOVSKAYA, photos by the author. "Vitebskiye vesti".