MINSK, 21 May (BelTA) – Matters concerning the development of small and medium business in Belarus were discussed at the session of the Council of Ministers Presidium on 20 May, the press service of the Belarus government told BelTA.

Participants of the session approved the proposal of the business community regarding the need to implement the 2014 national business platform. It was noted that the document fosters the development of a full-value competition environment by promoting private initiatives and liberalizing relations in the Belarusian economy. Yet Prime Minister of Belarus Mikhail Myasnikovich gave instructions to discuss the document in the regions together with representatives of the regional business communities. Opinions and proposals will be submitted for analysis to the Economy Ministry.

The head of government was informed that positive dynamics concerning the overall number of small and medium businesses in Belarus continued in 2013. According to the Belarusian Tax and Duties Ministry, as of 1 January 2014 there were 359,401 SMEs in Belarus, 25,000 more or 7.5% more than in early 2013. The share of the state budget’s revenues from the economic operators, in particular, payments controlled by tax authorities, totaled 29.1% while the growth rate in comparable prices amounted to 106.1% as against 2012.

Yet it was noted that the development of small and medium business in the area of manufacturing is impeded by the lack of manufacturing premises due to poor efforts aimed at getting spare and ineffectively used state-owned real estate involved in the economic turnover. Apart from that, government agencies tend to care for their own interests as they distribute raw materials, financial and labor resources during the creation of equal conditions for state-owned and private economic entities.