NCE RK "Atameken" proposes to create a legal environment for social entrepreneurship

In order to develop a common position on this issue at the site of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs was held a round table with the participation of state bodies, NGOs and social entrepreneurs.

According to the Deputy Chairman of NCE RK "Atameken" Nurzhan Altaev, in Kazakhstan there is misunderstanding of the nature of social entrepreneurship on the part of the state and business, legislative and administrative difficulties to promotion of ideas. The problem is also that there is no mechanism, structure, coordinating social entrepreneurship, funding for social business initiatives is not attracted.

"By introducing social entrepreneurship on the one hand, we can solve a social problem, on the other, commercial matters. For example, in the UK, social enterprises produce about 10% of GDP. In Kazakhstan, a completely different picture. To start this mechanism, it is necessary to amend the legislation, to build the necessary infrastructure. You need to know where we can apply in practice the mechanisms of social entrepreneurship, and that the state will get at the end. Social entrepreneurship is beneficial to the state, it will help to reduce budget spending, to solve serious problems", - concluded Nurzhan Altaev.

Continuing the theme, the member of the Presidium, the chairman of the Committee of social sphere and social partnership NCE RK Talgat Doskenov noted that the relevance of the development of social entrepreneurship is evident in economically uncertain times.

"What are the principles of social entrepreneurship? International experts, scientists and social entrepreneurs say that the main features of social entrepreneurship is a social impact, innovation, self-sufficiency, financial stability, entrepreneurial approach and scope of this social project. The priorities of the activities of social entrepreneurs are pre-school, further education, the issue of food supply, employment of persons with disabilities, children's homes, employment of mothers with many children and mothers - singles, issues of unemployment, culture, sport, and ecology. Each area has certain social problems", - said Talgat Doskenov.

According to him, despite the fact that entrepreneurs are involved in each of these areas, the problem still exists.

"First of all, there is no legislative consolidation of concepts, social entrepreneurship, a social entrepreneur, a social enterprise. From 60-ies of the last century there are social enterprises, which are established by the society of people with disabilities. That is, there are companies, and the concept of "social entrepreneurship" is missing. The social enterprises have emerged, it is the house of culture and recreation, public libraries, etc., but the law does not reflect it, therefore, probably, many people confuse social entrepreneurship with such concepts as corporate social responsibility, the social project", - said the chairman Committee of the social sphere and social partnership NCE RK. At the same time, he stressed that corporate social responsibility applies to social policy of certain companies to the public, employees of the company or a region.

"Social entrepreneurship is a method of social activities, which connects the social mission of the achievement of economic efficiency and entrepreneurial innovation", - said Talgat Doskenov.

According to him, last year NCE held a series of activities to carry out the work in a systematic manner on the development of this sector in Kazakhstan. Activities of NCE were supported by international partners, with which "Atameken" held a seminar-workshop to discuss the prospects of social entrepreneurship, there was held an international scientific and Practical conference, there was released the first collection of social entrepreneurship. In addition, NCE established the Fund of social initiatives, and youth entrepreneurship. A number of senior employees of NCE, MPs and social entrepreneurs traveled to the United States, where they got acquainted with their experience in this field.

Talgat Doskenov convinced that in Kazakhstan there is a real need for the development of social entrepreneurship.

"This will solve a number of problems and gaps, it will enable the transfer of some state functions of resolution of environmental problems to the outsourcing - small business and NGOs, which will facilitate the implementation of government social policy, budget savings. International experience shows that social entrepreneurs is designed to solve the most urgent problems of the society", - said T. Doskenov.

In this regard, according to NCE, it is necessary to develop a plan of action to promote the success of social entrepreneurs, to legislate in regulatory and legal acts the term "social enterprise", its types, principles of financing, create a fund to promote social entrepreneurship under NCE RK, to introduce financial institutions to support social projects.