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To create a million jobs in the country within two years through extending loans to the self-employed and small- and medium-sized businesses is a feasible task. Utilizing mechanisms of public-private partnership, involving international donors' funds, it can be completed in the short-term outlook, while preventing further economic crisis and tacking unemployment. It is very important to the country, which is experiencing a deep social and economic crisis, forcedly allocates significant resources for military operations and tries to solve the problems of internally displaced persons. These issues were on the agenda of a Kyiv business forum, "Ukraine is a Country of Entrepreneurs."
"Jobs are of great value around the world. The effectiveness of government in democratic countries is assessed by number of jobs. In addition to the allocation of funds and support of financial institutions that do this, we demand that the authorities preserve the simplified taxation system with additional incentives for start-ups, eliminate regulatory authorities' pressure on businesses, obligatorily draw up and implement a state program to preserve and create new jobs in the country," President of the Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Anatoliy Kinakh said.
They signed an address to other cities and towns jointly with head of Kyiv City State Administration Vitaliy Klitschko, calling on them to be more actively engaged in programs for the creation of jobs, support of the self-employed.
"Kyiv is the economic capital of Ukraine with good reason, as it does a lot to let businesses develop in a fair, open way with transparent rules. The city now has an open budget, a transparent electronic procurement system has been launched, open auctions are held for work on free trading platforms. I think that UAH 10 million in micro-crediting support is only the beginning. We'll be increasing this resource," Vitaliy Klitschko assured.
Participants in the forum emphasized how it is important for other banks of the capital and the country, namely Oschadbank, Alfa-bank and Piraeus Bank, to participate in programs for lending to small businesses. Their number continues to grow, covering a range of services that are essential to small businesses; this includes training of entrepreneurs. The market actively implements programs for support of small businesses with the EU. They also address the problem of improving mechanisms of providing entrepreneurs with access to resources.
General Deputy Chairman of PrivatBank Yuriy Pikush said: "The 'Ukraine is a Country of Entrepreneurs' initiative is effective now. As many as 71,000 jobs have been created, a significant amount of loans has been issued. Yes, there is a problem related to their costs, but the participation of the state and local authorities will let significantly reduce the rates. In addition, the bank has launched a 'crowdlending' program when bank clients can place their deposits at PrivatBank to extend a loan to a particular small business even in his or her city or area. The inflow of funds from households is also a very positive aspect of the program."
"Boosting jobs will be an invincible weapon of Ukraine. Let us not forget: It is small businesses that form the basis of the middle class, determine the solvency of the country and inspiration for democratic transformation. That's why the small business lending program will work in all regional centers, not only there, as similar business forums will be held everywhere in support of this initiative," Anatoliy Kinakh summed up.
The next regional forum will take place in Dnipro on November 24.