Source: Executive Committee of Yaremche City Council
On July 5, business representatives, non-governmental organizations with a focus on entrepreneurship support activities, City Council deputies, and municipal officials gathered to discuss problems that impede SME development. The event, which took place in the office of the Centre for Social and Business Initiatives, was held within the PLEDDG Project.
According to PLEDDG Regional Coordinator in Ivano-Frankivsk oblast Vitalii Vandych, Yaremche is currently working on the “business” component of PLEDDG Project.
“This direction includes conducting an express-analysis of the local business climate by using a methodology developed in the framework of PLEDDG Project. The above mentioned activities are aimed at revealing problems facing business that are in the competence of the local authorities. Upon receiving results of the express-analysis, recommendations will be prepared for the local authorities in order to take serious steps towards the elimination of the revealed problems and maintain services required by business, especially the ones that are aimed to support SME development. Besides, those achievements are going to be used for developing the program aimed to support entrepreneurship in Yaremche”, said V.Vandych.
PLEDDG Consultant Natalyia Kobylchak presented the results of a study on Yaremche’s regulatory framework. She also explained the research logics:
“Our work includes two essential elements. Firstly, it’s our work with the local regulatory legal base, including those Yaremche City Council and City Executive Committee decisions that set the rules for business. Secondly, it’s our field research that includes talks between PLEDDG consultants and business representatives through focus groups. As a result, we are going to make a road map for the municipal authorities in order to optimize the instruments of local business regulation as well as to eliminate existing barriers that prevent business growth”.
Participants discussed problems that exist in different areas of business regulation at the local level. Those problems included administrative services management, land property relations, common ownership property exploit, housing improvement, trade and foodservice, tourist services management, imposing local taxes and fees etc.
Participants emphasized that there were no unoccupied lands that could be used for business development. Though suitable for rent common ownership real estate properties existed, there were no any accessible registers of all common ownership properties. There are problems with the lands near railway networks, where entrepreneurship facilities are located (shops etc.) as well as lands near electricity power networks. Thus, regional electricity power distribution company does not allocate land properties under its facilities as well as involves itself in creating problems for private landlords by means of refusal to conduct payment compensation for landlords for their actual exploit of those lands.
They also mentioned bad road conditions that is a big challenge for local business. Road reconstruction and maintenance is of crucial importance for the whole tourist business. Also, participants spoke about unregistered businesses operating in the city. Such businesses don’t care much about the culture of business management, complained the participants.
According to local businessmen, there is lack of information support in the city. There is only one media outlet in Yaremche. There are no any local radio and TV networks in the city. It is useful to maintain an integrated information portal containing up-to-date data about the city events in order to reach out to customers (tourists).
Besides, taking into account the tourist nature of Yaremche, the city needs a tourist office. Such an office could provide information about the tourist business. It could be also involved in various events (festivals, theme events etc.) through its cooperation with the local business community in order to promote a mutual interest in improving the city image.
