By Yevgeny Yerokhin
The small Polesie town of Narovlya has won the title ‘Best District for Business’ among those cities with a population of up to 50,000: as announced at the 13th Assembly of Business Circles.The Chairman of the Narovlya District Executive Committee, Valery Shlyaga, tells us, “I’d rather use figures to explain our attractiveness. As regards the number of legal entities and private companies, the Narovlya District takes the lead, with 54 private firms per 1,000 people. This means that businessmen feel comfortable here. Their share of payments into the budget long ago exceeded that made by state enterprises. Those from the Gomel Region and other Belarusian areas come here to set up businesses. Entrepreneurs buy empty sites, paying just one basic unit and can enjoy state support in the form of interest free loans: Krolstadt Farm is one example. In just a few years, this private initiative has become a successful venture, breeding about 10,000 rabbits, quails and ptarmigans. Their eggs and meat are in great demand in shops and restaurants in Gomel, Vitebsk, Minsk and other cities.” Mr. Shlyaga adds, “A great number of firms operational in the district work in the construction branch. Moreover, agro-ecotourism is rapidly developing, with new homesteads launched — visited by an increasing number of tourists from Belarus and abroad. People are appreciative not only of our business climate but also of the beauty of our wonderful land; tourists take real delight in coming here.”
