Source: Official website of Kolomyia City Council
Ukrainian-Canadian Partnership for Local Economic Development and Democratic Governance (PLEDDG) Project is underway in the city of Kolomyia. On July 1, local entrepreneurs, representatives from an economic and municipal development department and investment policy and foreign trade department within the City Council, representatives of the Kolomyia Economic Development Association and other non-governmental organizations held talks with PLEDDG consultant Nataliya Kobylchak regarding advantages and disadvantages of running a business in Kolomyia.
A whole range of factors influencing business growth in the city were analyzed and possibilities for solving the problems facing local businessmen at the local level were discussed.
“We analyzed every single decision of the City Council and Executive Committee as well as the principles of managing the administrative services. All those procedures are of crucial importance for most of businessmen, because they deal with it most frequently. It is of great importance for entrepreneurs that all those procedures can be followed easily and fast, with a minimum number of required certificates and documents, and spanning a period that does not exceed one day, said Mrs. Kobylchak.Kolomyia’s businessmen confirmed that the overall performance of Kolomyia Administrative Services Management Department was not bad.
Businessmen shared their opinion on the existing shortcomings of the administrative services management system. Deputy Head of City Council and entrepreneur Mr. Roman Krutko (a member of political party “Samopomich” (Self Reliance)) focused on the Classification of Economic Activity Types (so-called KVED). Mr. Krutko explained that a person has to await the completion of quite a simple procedure for three days. The procedure itself is complicated; people have to stand in long lines, while the time businessmen waste standing in long lines could have been spent in a more efficient way, e.g. tending to their own business.
Land-property relations, local taxes and fees, re-equipment and reconstruction of rooms and buildings, temporary buildings and summer terraces placement, marketplace trade regulations, outdoor advertising, transportation services rates were among the topics discussed at the meeting.
Unfortunately, there are some business-related problems that can’t be solved at the local level. A lot of procedures are to be approved at the state level. Thus, it’s impossible to change the situation by adopting regulatory acts in the City of Kolomyia, stated participants.
Participants emphasized that Kolomyia authorities would organize public hearings every time they were planning to adopt regulatory acts. For instance, such consultations with the community were held before passing a regulation on outdoor signs.
In general, business management in Kolomyia was regarded as satisfactory. Most information on business management can be found on the official web-site of the city council or be requested directly from local authorities.
What kind of services does Kolomiya lack in order to support SME development? Many say that there is an urgent need for participatory budgeting to be introduced. Such a method provides every Kolomyia resident with the possibility to decide about the way to spend the city’s funds. The head of Kolomyia City Council Budgetary Commission Roman Krutko is now working on this.
PLEDDG is going to work further to present the City Council with proposals regarding SME development. The best and cutting-edge international best practices, knowledge, and resources in local economic development will be shared with the Kolomyia City Council.