In 2009, the Vitebsk Business Center contributed to attracting about Br300 billion into the region's economy

January 27, Vitebsk / Sergey Kochetov - BELTA/. The Entrepreneurship Support Center, Limited Liability Company (LLC) "Vitebsk Business Center", assisted in attracting almost Br300 billion in investments into the Vitebsk region's economy in 2009, which is almost 3 times more than the same indicator of the previous year. This was reported to BELTA correspondent by the enterprise director Leonid Shur.

Last year, the center's specialists developed 34 investment business plans and business development plans, the implementation of which, in addition to investment, provides for the creation of more than 1.3 thousand jobs. The largest business plan was developed for RUP "Vitebsk DSK" for the technical re-equipment project of the large-panel housing construction plant. Its implementation will allow the enterprise to increase the annual volume of housing commissioning from 120 to 240 thousand sq.m. per year in accordance with the State Comprehensive Program for the Development of the Material and Technical Base of the Construction Industry for 2006-2010.

In addition, with the support of "Vitebsk Business Center", two investment projects are being implemented in the FEZ "Vitebsk". The initiator of one of them was a Belarusian businessman who approached the entrepreneurship support center with a business idea for business planning. Subsequently, he found investors for cooperation on the project and became one of the co-founders of an organization with foreign investments. Also, in the FEZ, the foreign enterprise "PORTA KMI Bel" is implementing a project to create a door production facility. The Polish founder of the enterprise initially intended to locate production in a neighboring region, but poor business planning forced the investor to reorient to the Vitebsk region, where he was provided with high-quality and preferential project support, Leonid Shur said.

About 70% of the developed business plans are planned to be implemented in the region's districts, which may indicate the effectiveness of the measures taken to support private initiative in rural areas, the director noted. For example, five business plans provide for the creation of roadside service facilities, including the largest of which, in addition to the construction of catering facilities and campsites, involves the provision of amateur fishing services. Business plans for projects in rural areas are aimed at developing livestock, poultry, and beekeeping, Leonid Shur added. The sources of investment for the implementation of business plans are mainly provided by innovation funds, domestic and foreign investors, as well as bank loans.

The Entrepreneurship Support Center ODO "Vitebsk Business Center" was established in 1994. The main activities of the business center are assistance in attracting investments to the Vitebsk region, in creating new enterprises and jobs, as well as stimulating private initiative. -0-