Enterpreneurs: small- and medium-scale business demand more radical reforms from the government

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Kyiv, September 21, 2015. Small- and medium-scale business is ready to actively participate in securing economic growth and fighting poverty through the mechanism creating new workplaces. Nevertheless, the government is to keep to the promises it made and launch radical reforms for the benefit of society. This is the conclusion participants of all-Ukrainian congress of small-scale and medium-scale business presented at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center as a part of the Ukraine Reforms Communications Taskforce project. “Entrepreneurs are well aware of the situation in the country, but it’s not the reason to refrain from reforms. We, business, demand radical reforms. All the entrepreneurs support reforms but only the reforms that society will benefit from and help the business survive,” said Vyacheslav Bykovets, president of the Society of the Small-scale Enterprises of Ukraine.

Key demands of entrepreneurs refer to the sphere of taxation and administration. “Business is a foundation for middle class. Today they came to the government with their demands. First of all, they demand preserving simplified system of taxation as it is. It should be free from the influence of any reforms of the fiscal system. Secondly, it is deregulation of the business climate. Thirdly, it is real anti-corruption policy,” said Oksana Prodan, head of all-Ukrainian association of small- and medium-scale business ‘Fortetsia’.

Ms. Prodan also said that, apart from the listed problems, entrepreneurs are very sensitive to relations with natural monopolies, in particular, with power and heat suppliers. They complain about excessive over-regulation these issues.

Nataliya Kozhevina, president of the Association of business incubators and innovative centers of Ukraine, said that relations between entrepreneurs and local authorities change for the better. It is important that reforms support and develop this trend. Moreover, she said that entrepreneurs, elected to the local authorities, function successfully as they turned out to be efficient leaders. The speaker does not exclude that entrepreneurs might become candidates for deputies of local councils during the next local elections. Ms. Prodan supported this argument.  “More than 10 entrepreneurs who are candidates for members of the local councils participated in the congress, representing various political forces. “I believe these people are not only able to, but are also entitled to participate in elections and be elected as local authorities. They create jobs and they know how to solve problems,” said the head of the all-Ukrainian association ‘Fortetsia’.