Vitebskoblimushchestvo Committee: Regional Round Table on Real Estate Management Held in Polotsk

On June 29, 2023, in Polotsk, at the Igrow Attraction Center of Belgropprombank OJSC, a regional round table on the topic "Real Estate Management" was held. Speakers at the event included employees of the Vitebskoblimushchestvo committee, the Ministry of Taxes and Duties of the Republic of Belarus, and the private company Intellectual Business Technologies LLC, Vitebsk. Participants of the round table included representatives of commercial and non-commercial organizations of private and state ownership from Polotsk and Novopolotsk, the IMNS for Polotsk District, the Department of Economics and the Financial Department of the Polotsk District Executive Committee.

During the round table, an active dialogue was held on legislative novelties and practical aspects of such relevant topics as the disposal of state property, rental relations, taxation, sale of real estate objects, including for one base value, etc.

In particular, legislative novelties in the field of renting state property were highlighted by Pavel Vladimirovich Lukyanov, Head of the Department for the Disposal of State Property of the Vitebskoblimushchestvo committee, who, based on the results of his speech and discussions with the round table participants, emphasized the importance of live discussion of pressing issues, especially in the context of a rapidly changing economic situation in the country.

"The Polotsk region with its special economic potential and direct communication on one platform between representatives of state administration bodies and the business community undoubtedly strengthens and develops this potential. On the one hand, we increase the legal literacy of economic entities, and on the other hand, we receive feedback, information on what problems need to be solved as a priority at the level of the State Property Committee of the Republic of Belarus in order for the region to receive accelerated development," emphasized Pavel Vladimirovich.

Questions in the area of using state property and its sale, including for one base value, were answered by Irina Mikhailovna Shkirando, Head of the Sector for the Use of State Property of the Vitebskoblimushchestvo committee.

The presentation, featuring positive examples of engaging underutilized property in several districts of the Vitebsk region, effectively complemented Irina Mikhailovna's speech.

“We are summarizing the experience of involving state property into economic circulation throughout the region, communicating with colleagues from other regions, and of course, positive examples stimulate economic entities to more actively implement their business projects, which leads to new jobs and budget revenue, i.e., the main common goal in our work.”

Elena Prokhorova, Director of Intellectual Business Technologies LLC, Vitebsk, and her deputy Svetlana Zaitseva shared their practical experience in the rental business.

“For us, this is primarily an image-building event. With eight years of experience working with tenants, mainly private sector entities in Vitebsk, our team is ready to share competencies and develop them by interacting with representatives of small and medium-sized businesses in various regions of the country. Moreover, cooperation with such an economically active, industrial region as Polotsk is important to us,” noted Elena Nikolaevna.

Thanks to the established connections with the Republican Unitary Enterprise "Information and Publishing Center for Taxes and Levies" of Minsk since 2022, the organizers once again received assistance in attracting representatives of the Ministry of Taxes and Levies of the Republic of Belarus. Thus, the following participated in the round table in an online format: Soloveychikova Tatyana Andreevna, consultant of the individual entrepreneur taxation department of the main tax administration of individuals of the Ministry of Taxes and Levies of the Republic of Belarus, and Tereshkov Denis Sergeevich, chief state tax inspector of the Ministry of Taxes and Levies of the Republic of Belarus.

The specialists highlighted issues of calculating and paying property taxes, and also presented the practical aspects of the new special tax regime for individuals (tax on professional income) introduced in 2023, providing detailed answers to all participants' questions.

“By the way, property taxes (real estate tax and land tax), along with non-tax

revenue from the sale of real estate (land plots) and rental income amounted to about 11% of the district budget revenues or 16 million rubles in 2022, therefore the financial department of the Polotsk District Executive Committee is ready to provide all possible assistance in conducting similar events, and we invited organizations that are vested with the powers of administrators of the above-mentioned revenues to this round table, both to improve their financial literacy and to discuss possible options for replenishing the local budget," noted Elena Golubenok, Deputy Head of the Budget Revenue and Finance Department of the Production Sphere of the Financial Department of the Polotsk District Executive Committee.

"In the Polotsk district in 2022, 13 unused real estate objects were put into economic circulation through sale, and 19 objects are planned to be put into circulation for 2023, 3 of which have already been sold. The work is actively continuing, but in 2023, the legislation regulating the procedure for managing and disposing of state property has changed, so it is high time to discuss the law enforcement practice at a round table with the relevant state administration body and potential buyers and continue to work for results. By the way, in 2023, it is planned to alienate: a non-residential building in the agro-town of Zelyonka, former kindergartens in the village of Voronichi, agro-town of Matyushi, a school in the agro-town of Rudnya, etc. Detailed information can be obtained from the economics department of the Polotsk District Executive Committee by phone 46-22-62," urges Alesya Terzyan, chief specialist of the economics department.

In addition to the communal property objects of the Polotsk district, economic circulation also includes objects of business entities. In particular, issues related to the alienation procedures of real estate objects were received at the round table from the Polotsk Bakery, a branch of Vitebskhlebprom OJSC, and the open joint-stock company Polotsk-Steklovolokno OJSC.

"PSV OJSC has been selling its production and administrative buildings located in the city through the Polotsk Entrepreneurship Support Center since 2022.

in Polotsk on Uspenskaya street, up-to-date information on the alienation progress can be obtained on the company's website in the "Sales" section or by phone at 41-57-85. In addition, by the government's order, together with the Polotsk District Executive Committee, the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, and other interested parties, the company is working to find a new owner for the "Kosmos" children's health camp, which is partly state-owned and partly owned by OAO "PSV". In these working conditions, any open communication, exchange of opinions and experience with colleagues, partners, authorities, and public administration bodies is simply necessary and very productive," said Maria Savchenko, Head of the Property Management Bureau of OAO "PSV".

The regional round table was held in a truly working atmosphere. A total of over 30 people took part in the event, including representatives of public utilities of Polotsk and Novopolotsk, small and medium-sized businesses of the region, in particular, OOO "BELGRISA-plus", PE "Morskoy briz", and others. From the Councils for the Development of Entrepreneurship of Novopolotsk and Polotsk District, the participants included: unitary public consulting enterprise of Polotsk "Center for Entrepreneurship Support" and public unitary enterprise "Novopolotsk Center for Entrepreneurship and Real Estate".

"It took us a lot of effort and time to organize such an event, of course, but when you summarize its results with colleagues, partners, and new acquaintances, it becomes obvious to everyone that, in addition to improving professional skills, financial, tax, and overall legal literacy, we are uniting the region and attracting the attention of active, development-oriented people not only from the region but also at the national level, and the Igrow Attraction Centers ecosystem greatly contributes to this. My colleagues from Novopolotsk and I have already started discussing options for holding a joint meeting of the Councils for the Development of Entrepreneurship of Polotsk District and Novopolotsk. We hope to hold it in the summer,maybe even in July." - shared his vision Alexander Golubyonok, Director of the Entrepreneurship Support Center of the city of Polotsk. The event was concluded by Ekaterina Isachenko, curator of partnership relations of Igrow Centers of Attraction of OJSC "Belagroprombank" for the Vitebsk region - "I sincerely thank all the speakers and participants of the round table. In the Polotsk region, we are finding more and more like-minded people, and I want to confirm our interest in doing everything possible to promote the development of the Polotsk regional entrepreneurial ecosystem by sharing the best practices of Igrow Centers of Attraction and our partners throughout the country.