In early 2017, the Research Institute of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Republic of Belarus set up a working group to study the development of social entrepreneurship in the country. By the end of the year, these experts will present the results of their research and draw up recommendations on the need for legislative regulation of social entrepreneurship in Belarus. Representatives of civil society organizations and social entrepreneurs also take part in the work of specialists of the Research Institute of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Belarus.
On October 12, the group held a working meeting to discuss current Belarusian legal norms that govern the activities of entities that could be classified as social enterprises.
The working meeting was organized by ODB Brussels, with support from the Support Programme of Belarus of the Federal Government of Germany, represented by Aksana Yelova. The first to speak at the meeting was Maksim Padbiarozkin, coordinator of ODB Brussels’ social entrepreneurship development programme in Belarus, who emphasized how important it was to hold discussions of the existing legal norms with people who have had many years’ experience of work under these regulations. Anastasiya Zhyrmont, a lawyer from the Belarusian Association of Assistance to Children and Young People with Disabilities, provided legal support on every matter, and took notes of entrepreneurs’ suggestions to be included into recommendations for the Research Institute of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Republic of Belarus to improve legislation norms.
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| Aksana Shauchenka, Director of "Meteorite Plus" (Homel), Maksim Padbiarozkin, coordinator of ODB Brussels projects in Bealurs, and Ludmila Klimushka, representing "Doroga v Zhizn" ("Road to Life") enteprise (Stolin), at the meeting of the working group to discuss existing Belarusian legislation norms on support for social entrepreneur, 17.10.2017, Minsk |
Certain legislative norms regulating social enterprises can be found in a number of existing legislative documents. They have to do with employment of vulnerable social groups, support of small and medium businesses, development of entrepreneurship in rural areas.
Entrepreneurs from different Belarusian regions have taken part in the work of the group. They have worked in companies that can be classified as social enterprises for many years, in particular, those that employ people with disabilities and help them adapt to work. The town of Stolin was represented by Ludmila Klimushka and Salman Reshad, employees of "Doroga v Zhizn" ("Way to Life").
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| Anastasiya Zhyrmont, a lawyer from the Belarusian Association of Assistance to Children and Young People with Disabilities, Aksana Yelov from the Support Programme of Belarus of the Federal Government of Germany, Tatiana Berniakovich from IBB and Natallia Strelchanka from "Umely Kolobok" (Svetlahorsk) at the meeting of the working group to discuss existing Belarusian legislation norms on support for social entrepreneur, 17.10.2017, Minsk |
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| Ihar Striga, Head of "Services Hypermarket 124" (on the left) and Dzmitry Klimkovich, Director of "Essential Capital" (on the right), at the meeting of the working group to discuss existing Belarusian legislation norms on support for social entrepreneur, 17.10.2017, Minsk |
Aksana Shauchenka came to the meeting from Homel, where she manages her own company “Meteorite Plus”. The company manufactures educational toys and sports games for children. Minsk region was represented by Ihar Striga, Director of "Services Hypermarket 124", and Dzmitry Klimkovich, Director of a private company "Essential Capital". Natallia Ampleeva also works in Minsk, where she manages a company "Art Idea". Natallia Strelchanka is the Head of "Umely Kolobok" (“Skillful Roly-Poly”) in Svetlahorsk. It employs more than twenty people with disabilities, who manufacture high-quality consumer goods.
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| Dzmitry Klimkovich, Director of "Essential Capital", Natallia Ampleeva, representing a retail company "Art Idea" (Minsk), Aksana Shauchenka, Director of "Meteorite Plus" (Homel) at the meeting of the working group to discuss existing Belarusian legislation norms on support for social entrepreneur, 17.10.2017, Minsk |
At the end of the meeting of the working group, Maksim Padbiarozkin stressed that social enterprises in our country already can receive support in a number of ways. Not everyone might know about them, which is why these support measures need to be promoted. For reference, at the end of the year, the experts will present the results of their research and will draw up recommendations for legislative regulation of social entrepreneurship in Belarus.
Text by: Valerya Nikalaichyk
Photo by: Alena Lis