At World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF 2017), which is taking place in Istanbul, Kosovo is awarded with the price the “Best government in South East Europe for supporting entrepreneurship”.
The price has reactive the minister of Trade and Industry, Hykmete Bajrami, who at the forum introduced the Kosovo’s entrepreneurs ecosystem, she also chaired one of most important panel of the forum in regard to the increment of enterprise’s access to finance through innovative financial instruments.
Kosovo is priced by an international panel as the bigger reformer in terms of helping start-ups. The panel has considered for the base the start-up process, respectively business registration procedures referring to the World Bank Doing Business Report Index, where Kosovo has jumped to 13th place in the world, moving up from 47th place in just one year. The international panel also has concluded that Kosovo has relaxed the bureaucratic procedures, simplified its tax system, and has one of the lowest tax rates in Europe, with a 10% income tax and 0% tax on dividends.
Award has come after a series of serious commitments of the government of the Republic of Kosovo to improve going business environment in our country, and to establish favorable policies for entrepreneurship and to attract investments.
The World Angels Investment Forum (WBAF 2017) is attending around 450 investors from 54 countries across the world, also higher state institutional Officials and business associations from all over the world.
At her addressing, minister Bajrami stated that in the world 90% of global enterprises are main job generators. However, access to finance is one of main difficulties for start-ups that have new projects and innovative ideas but find it difficult to find suitable funding for bringing into life their projects.
Mrs. Bajrami said that we must intensify international cooperation in order to find creative approach to fill this gap connected to access to finance for SMEs, which until now have had difficulties or have been almost impossible to access finance through the simple traditional banking system.
It is very important that together all government institutions and private community to explore the possibility in finding alternative instruments for addressing this challenge would provide possibilities to start-ups, same as successful businesses that generates jobs and value added economy.
Minister Bajrami said that it is encouraging that the investors’ angel network is consolidating every day more and more, and in this case, it urges investors to come in Kosovo, because our country has potential and provides optimal preconditions for projects development, especially in information technology sector but also in other sectors, she said.
Within the conference margins, minister Bajrami is having bilateral meetings with senior leaders of important institutions and foreign businesses.