Activities carried out to raise the profiles of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship Andris Lasmanis C

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Activities carried out to raise the profiles of
entrepreneurs and entrepreneurshipAndris
Lasmanis Council of the Small and Medium
Enterprises and Crafts of Latvia, Chairman
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Enterprises
42 549 economically active enterprises in Latvia
in 2002.
Micro, 76
42 275 SMEs (99)
Small, 20
Medium, 4
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Dynamics of registration of companies

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Dialog between government and entrepreneurship
representatives

• Council of the Small and Medium Enterprises and
  Crafts of Latvia
• The National Economy Council
• The Foreign Investors Council in Latvia
• Latvian Employers Confederation

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Council of the Small and Medium Enterprises and
Crafts of Latvia

• Council of the Small and Medium Enterprises
  and Crafts of Latvia consists of 27 Small and
  Medium Businesses and businessmen representative
  legal entity (associations, organizations)
  delegated representatives.
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• These 27 regional and SMEs organizations
  unify 3166 enterprises form different branches of
  national economy.

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Members of the Council of the Small and Medium
Enterprises and Crafts of Latvia

• Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Chamber of Traders of Latvia
• Chamber of Crafts of Latvia
• Union of the SMB of Regions of Latvia
• Confederation of Latvian SME
• Association of Latvian Business Consultants
• Junior Chamber Latvia
• Association of Traders of Latvia
• Community of Manufacturers and Traders of Latvia
• Latvian Association for Quality
• Operational Union of Small and Medium Businesses
• Association of the Distributors of Building
  Materials of Latvia
• Association of Tiny Businesses of Latvia

• Latvian Association of Energy Construction
• Association of Fisheries of Latvia
• Federation of Food Businesses
• Association of Passenger Road Carriers of Latvia
• Baltic Fashion Federation
• Latvian Association of Waste Management Companies
• Association of Manufacturers and Traders of
  Jelgava
• Association of Fisheries of Latvia
• Pawnshop Association of Latvia
• Association of Real Estate Traders
• Latvian Association of Gambling Business
• Rural Communication Centre
• Association of Business People of Liepaja

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Council of the Small and Medium Enterprises and
Crafts of Latvia

• The aims of the Council are
• Involve the non-government organizations of small
  and medium businesses (hereinafter SMB) and
  branch associations in designing and
  implementation of the SMB friendly business
  environment policy.
• Facilitate the development of SMB and their
  co-operation and competitiveness in the context
  of the movement of Latvia in the European Union.
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Council of the Small and Medium Enterprises and
Crafts of Latvia

• The main functions of the Council are
• consider and follow after implementing of such
  issues (normative document projects, national
  economy development conception, state budget and
  others documents) which are important to
  favourable of the SMEs entrepreneurship policy
  formation development and implementation, and
  promote the SMEs growth
• organize dialog between enterprises, Ministry of
  Economics, others government institutions,
  nongovernmental organizations and international
  organizations which influence the SMEs operation
  and development.

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Council of the Small and Medium Enterprises and
Crafts of Latvia

• As a positive tendency should be mentioned
  cooperation with Ministry of Economics.
  Entrepreneurs are regularly invited to appraise
  SMEs development problems and programdocuments
  projects that form SMEs policy.
• Basic Guidelines of the SME Development Policy in
  Latvia
• Program on Development of Small and Medium-Sized
  Enterprises of Latvia 2004-2006
• Action Plan to Improve the Business Environment
• The Consultative Support Program for Starting
  Businesses
• EU Structural Fundss SSP guidelines

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Council of the Small and Medium Enterprises and
Crafts of Latvia

• Councils members and representatives of
  organizations are delegated to following
  committees in Latvia to strengthen Council of the
  SMEs and Crafts role in improvement of
  entrepreneurship environment
• EU Structural funds Supervision committee of
  Ministry of Finance
• EU Structural funds ERDF control committee of
  Ministry of Finance of Ministry of Finance
• EU Structural funds Advisory working group of
  Ministry of Finance
• Regional funds advisory committee
• National council of Information society.

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Council of the Small and Medium Enterprises and
Crafts of Latvia

• Delegates of Council participates
• European Economic and Social Committee
• European Community programme in the field of
  enterprise and entrepreneurship, and in
  particular small and medium-sized enterprises
  (2001- 2005), in projects working groups
• - Consultation of Stakeholders in the Shaping of
  Small Business Policy at National/Regional
  level (Best)
• - Obstacles to Growth Recruiting the first
  Employee
• - Second Career overcoming the obstacles
  to self-employment.

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The National Economy Council
The National Economy Council is advisory
institution for Ministry of Economics. The
National Economy Council was founded by Latvian
Chamber of commerce and industry, Latvian
Employers Confederation, Industry Confederation,
Free Trade Union Confederation of Latvia and The
Union of Local and Regional Governments of
Latvia. The National Economy Council consists of
23 experts entrepreneurs, government
institutions and representatives from other
organizations. The National Economy Council
considers issues, who are important to national
economy of Latvia development, preparing
proposals and accept permissive decisions about
these questions. The National Economy Council
also organize dialog between enterprises,
Ministry of Economics, Single Economic Strategy
and Development Council and others government
institutions and nongovernmental organizations.
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The Foreign Investors Council in Latvia

• The Foreign Investors Council in Latvia (FICIL)
  is a forum uniting the largest companies from
  various countries and industries that have made
  significant investments in Latvia, as well as the
  American, British, Danish and Swedish Chambers of
  Commerce in Latvia, and the German Latvian
  Enterprise Association.
• Mission is to improve the business environment in
  Latvia by an active dialogue with the government.
  
• FICIL organises regular High Council Meetings
  between the highest Latvian government officials
  and the owners and chief executives of the
  members parent companies.
• Many solutions improving investment climate in
  Latvia have been found and implemented since
  FICIL started its activities in 1998.

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Latvian Employers Confederation

• The Latvian Employers Confederation (LEC) is the
  biggest organization representing employers
  interests in the Government, Saeima and in
  negotiations with trade unions. It is the only
  employers representative in the employment,
  education and social legislation process in
  Latvia. The LEC was established in 1993.
• Mission of the Latvian Employers Confederation
• enhance effectiveness of entrepreneurship and
  employment development by observing interests of
  the public at large to promote strengthening and
  development of Latvian employers and their
  organizations
• enhance the growth of Latvian employers, the
  development of enterprise culture and creation
  of  favourable social conditions.

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Entrepreneurship policy documents

• National Innovation Programme (2003 - 2006)
• Industrial Development Guidelines
• National Tourism Development Programme (2001
  2010)
• Guidelines for the Export Promotion Policy
• Action Plan for Improvement of Business
  Environment
• Development Programme of Small and Medium-Sized
  Enterprises (2004 - 2006)

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Development Programme of Small and Medium-Sized
Enterprises (2004 - 2006)

• Goals
• Ensure the SME development assistants policy
  according to the best practice of EU countries
• Increase entrepreneurship activity, specially, in
  territories with low social-economical
  development index
• Invigorate the SME competitiveness and promote
  added value growth.

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Development Programme of Small and Medium-Sized
Enterprises (2004 - 2006)

• Actions
• Creation of favourable Entrepreneurship
  environment, especially, for SMEs
• Facilitate accessibility to financial resources
  for small and medium entrepreneurship
  development
• Development of human resources and new
  entrepreneurship inactive
• Promotion of SMEs competitiveness
• Analysis of entrepreneurship environment and
  develop additional events for territories with
  low socio-economic development.

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Development Programme of Small and Medium-Sized
Enterprises (2004 - 2006)

• Results
• Follow principles of market economy and forming
  favorable conditions for entrepreneurship
  development, will be increased export, as well as
  will diminish unemployment level.
• During the year number of founded the Small and
  Medium Enterprises has increased from 5 - 7.
• SMEs operation interruption in first two life
  years has reduced by 50 during the next ten
  years.
• The number of SMEs who operates in priority
  branches and state supported regions during the
  year has increased by 20-25.

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Thank You for Your attention