2.85 Vidin 2023, Инвестиционен анализ

The local business has opportunities to carry out its activities freely. Institutions at the municipal level make efforts to create an environment for business development and to attract investments, the result of which is to a certain extent hindered by the underdeveloped infrastructure connectivity with other regions of the country and the decreasing population.

Among the institutions at the local level, the leading contribution to the creation of conditions for economic development is made by the executive power in the likes of the mayor and the mayor’s team. They implement a policy to develop the capacity of the local municipal administration – in this regard, it should be noted that the information systems of the administration have been modernised, a system has been created for the quality provision of administrative services, and electronic services have been expanded.

The website of the municipality provides structured information about the business in the “About the business” section. There is a system for searching information by date, which allows relatively easy and convenient access to information. The information in the section “About the business” is systematised in a convenient way, which allows access from one section to subsections providing access to regulations, programs, rules, strategies, projects of regulatory documents, summary information on the terms and conditions for promoting investments with municipal importance, for issuing a class B certificate. Although the Municipal Council has decided to create an industrial zone, there is still no data on specific practical actions for its realisation.

The municipal council has provided legal prerequisites for the inclusion of business when considering regulations regarding economic activity in the municipality. These must be further developed in concrete and transparent mechanisms of the consultative process. In this regard, it should be noted that companies and businesses have a relatively passive attitude towards participation in consultations regarding development policies, discussions regarding changes in the regulatory framework and good governance initiatives. The subject of ethics in business and participation in anti-corruption initiatives is not the focus of local companies and business organisations.

The structures of civil society (media and civil organisations) have a relatively limited potential to exercise public control over institutions. The existing organisations work primarily in the field of social activities and education, which does not create prerequisites for civil control, respectively for creating an environment favourable to investments and fair competition between economic entities.