On March 2, 2011 at “Assembly of business circles of Belarus-2011” jury announced the results of content “Best city for doing business in Belarus”, handed diplomas and prizes. The winners are: 1) Polotsk (Vitebsk region) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polotsk among cities with population over 50 000 people 2) Ashmiany (Grodno region) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashmiany among cities with population less than 50 000 people.
Invitations for participation in content were delivered to 116 city executive committees. In content participated 65 cities.
Winners were identified by 16 criteria:
1. Number of IE (individual entrepreneurs) and SE (small enterprises) per 1000 people, dynamics for previous year;
2. Part of SE’s employees from general number of people, involved into economic activities of city (district) in %;
3. Ratio of SE’s factory output in city (district) factory output in %;
4. Dynamics for 2009 – 2010 of liquidated SE in city (district) in %;
5. Number of joint ventures per 10 000 people;
6. Volume of taxes, collecting from IE and SE, as a part of general tax income of city for 2010;
7. Investment support of SE’s projects by state (number, 3 examples);
8. Profit from sale of goods, products and services per employee;
9. Number of “green field” projects that have been started in city (district) by entrepreneurs by support of authorities in 2010;
10. Part of IE and SE in city (district) export;
11. Part of IE and SE in investment to basic capital;
12. Presence of entrepreneur supporting subjects, financed by local budget, or created by entrepreneurs (list), presence of Council of entrepreneurship development, centers of entrepreneurship development, incubators;
13. Opinion of administration: what features select your region from others in sphere of entrepreneurship support.
14. Quality of cooperation between regional business – associations and local authorities in sphere of entrepreneurship development (cooperation in sphere of normative base development, consultations, answers, involvement of local business community in system of decisions making in entrepreneurship development, invitations to sessions, expert consultations, local deputy councils’ sessions) (grades from 1 to 10);
15. Evaluation of city (district) business climate b regional business associations based on opinions of their entrepreneurs (grades from 1 to 10);
16. Content-analysis of local mass media (evaluation of experts: positive and negative image, sympathy, negative attitude, conflicts etc.) (grades from 1 to 10).