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To create one million jobs as self-employment, small and medium businesses in Ukraine is a realistic task for two years. This will stimulate the domestic market, ensure a significant increase in GDP, stop the outflow of specialists and workers abroad. The main thing is to ensure that working and potential entrepreneurs could have access to financial resources, regular training and to prop up attractiveness of business initiatives in society. These issues are on the radar screens of some influential non-governmental organizations and representatives of large companies in Ukraine: Kyiv hosted the first Ukrainian business forum "Ukraine is a Country of Entrepreneurs," which is designed for young business people and those who have only started thinking about their own business. It was organized by the Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (ULIE) with the support of PrivatBank.
The event brought together a large number of participants, among them were representatives of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Ukrainian government, Parliament, international organizations, successful businessmen and founders of startups, consultants and others. Real opportunities and prospects for the implementation of new business ideas, as well as practical tools to create or develop own companies were demonstrated to the beginners.
"More and more of our fellow citizens – about 65% of young people – are interested in the opportunity to start up their own business, but a mere 4% do this. Here we are working in several directions to change the situation: to provide the most favorable conditions for business development (access to credits, tax incentives) and convince our talented compatriots not to be afraid of developing on their own by launching their own projects and setting up their own companies," ULIE President Anatoly Kinakh has said.
He stresses it is time to stop demonizing large corporations, which have just started kicking off similar socially responsible projects, as it is time to join hands with other financial institutions, the state and non-governmental organizations.
"In future, utilizing public-private partnership, the initiative should become the basis for the formation of a national strategy for strengthening of the middle class, development of small businesses. In other countries it is the main stabilization factor and source of budget payments (50-70%)," the leader of the business community said.
Chairman of PrivatBank's board Oleksandr Dubilet said he fully shares this idea. In his words, he believes that the development of entrepreneurship in Ukraine is one of the priority ways out of the crisis. A large number of people who cannot find a job in traditional industries amid changes in the economy can create their own business to earn for own living and for the family. He cited unpleasant statistics: nearly 80% of Ukrainians are below the poverty line according to UN standards, receiving less than $150 per month.
"We have no other way but to develop the economy and the country. Ukrainians must cease to be afraid and start up their own business," Dubilet said.
Representatives of the parliament, international financial institutions, who were invited to the event, positively assessed the potential of this project titled "Ukraine is a Country of Entrepreneurs." To implement the ambitious goal – create 1 million jobs, only UAH 20 billion in loans is needed along with consolidated efforts by businesses, the government, financial institutions, Ukrainians themselves. In turn, as stated by chairperson of the parliament's committee on tax and customs policy, Nina Yuzhanina, Members of Parliament will work closely with officials, experts to not only introduce effective tax changes, but also to conduct a comprehensive fiscal reform.
During the Kyiv forum, several hundred participants received individual counseling from experts on business registration, accounting, tax accounting, legal support, franchising, e-commerce, and other issues.
As this is a socially oriented project, it also covers startup and business development training for former participants in the Anti-Terrorist Operation and internally displaced persons.
Similar business forums will be held in the regions with the involvement of local authorities. The concept of the project will be updated following the analysis of proposals and comments from businessmen, professionals who participate in such forums.