Belarus Country Profile business trade issues

Belarus

DOING BUSINESS

Local business incentives - Legal forms of companies - Registration and licensing procedures - Legal framework - Foreign exchange control - Regulations concerning equity investment - FDI inflows - Expertise of the political risk

Local business incentives

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides support and assistance to international investors and informs about investment intencives politics.

Legal forms of companies

Form	Number of partners/shareholders	Minimum and/or maximum capital	Liability	Registration fee	Release of financial documents
Joint Venture	2 companies (a foreign and a Byelorussian company)	USD 20,000	Depends on the status of the joint venture	USD 2,000
100% foreign capital Company	No minimum.	USD 20,000	Liability is limited to the amount contributed.	USD 2,000 to obtain a license

Registration and licensing procedures
Registration of a joint venture:
A joint venture can be set up once the contract between the foreign partner and the Byelorussian company has been signed. An approval for the setting up of the head office is required. The competent body in Minsk is Minskgorispolkom which requires to present certain documents.

Foreign exchange control

Regulations concerning equity investment
A majority holding interest in the capital of a local company is legal in Byelorussia.

Foreign Direct Investment inflows in Belarus

FDI inflows	2003	2004	2005	World rank (*) 2005
FDI inflows (USD million)	172	164	305	113/141

Source : UNCTAD - World Investment Report
Note : (*) World Rank = UNCTAD Inward FDI Performance Index. It is a measure of the extend to which a host country receives inward FDI relative to its economic size. It is calculated as a ratio of the country's share in global FDI inflows to its share in global GDP.

Last modified in 2006 - ongoing update