Russia-UNDP Partnership supported the development of entrepreneurship in 6 districts of Belarus
On May 21, 2020 the online presentation of the results of a large-scale three-year project "Promotion of Employment and Self-Employment in Small and Medium Cities of the Republic of Belarus" funded by the Russian Federation took place.
Small and medium-sized cities in Belarus, which account for 80 percent of all localities in the country, face the problem of outflow of active population to large cities, including for the purpose of starting their own businesses there, which significantly hinders the economic development of small towns. Six cities in Mogilev and Vitebsk regions were selected to create modern infrastructure to support small and medium-sized businesses: Krichev, Mstislavl, Chausy, Gorky, Baran and Glubokoe.
Within the framework of the project, entrepreneurship support centres where anyone can get advice on business development, assistance in drawing up a business plan, and search for sources of financing were created. During the period of their operation, the centres have provided more than 1,100 free consultations and assisted in establishing 59 new business entities, including with the support from the Development Bank of the Republic of Belarus.
Since its inception, the project has managed to build productive cooperation between government authorities, non-profit organizations and representatives of the business community of Belarus. According to Alexandra Solovyova, UNDP Resident Representative in Belarus, the project has shown the results of a successful strategic partnership with the Ministry of Economy of the Republic and the Russian Federation.
The representatives of the Ministry of Economy, the Embassy of the Russian Federation, business, heads of business centres and journalists attended the online event