On March 9, Minsk /BELTA correspondent/. Belarus is observing a steady increase in the number of entrepreneurs in small and medium-sized settlements of the republic. This was reported to BELTA correspondent by the press service of the Ministry of Economy. As of January 1, 2011, 65,294 taxpayers engaged in activities in small and medium-sized settlements were registered in Belarus, which amounted to 106.1% of the previous year's level. This includes over 25.5 thousand organizations and 39.7 thousand individual entrepreneurs (the growth rate compared to the previous year was 105.1% and 106.7% respectively). A steady increase in the number of taxpayers engaged in activities in small and medium-sized settlements is observed in all regions, with the highest growth rates recorded in the Minsk region (109.1%). The growth in entrepreneurial activity in the regions is justified by the adoption of key regulatory legal acts aimed at stimulating the economic development of rural settlements. Decrees of December 20, 2007, No. 9 "On Certain Issues of Regulating Entrepreneurial Activity in Rural Areas" and of January 28, 2008, No. 1 "On Stimulating the Production and Sale of Goods (Works, Services)" contributed to the intensification of entrepreneurial activity and the stimulation of production and sale of goods, works, and services in rural areas. In particular, Decree No. 1 established that commercial organizations, both with and without foreign investments, established after April 1, 2008, and located in settlements with a population of up to 50,000 people, are exempt from calculating and paying profit tax on the sale of their own manufactured goods (works, services) for five years from the date of their establishment, while conducting their activities there. In accordance with Decree No. 9, organizations and individual entrepreneurs located (residing) in rural settlements have the right to apply a special taxation procedure when producing goods, works, and services. This provides for exemption from profit tax and real estate tax.