We unite success to reach greater hights

№ 1, 2024
Heading: IN FOCUS
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This year the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has introduced new approach to providing membership benefits. The emphasis is on providing services that are truly in demand by businesses under current conditions, as well as on the opportunity for companies to independently choose the scope of benefits received according to a "package" principle: standard or extended. Thanks to these solutions, companies can clearly understand all the advantages they receive along with the "BelCCI member" status and choose the opportunities that are particularly relevant. Vitaly Vabischevich, Head of the BelCCI Department of Legal Support and Digital Technologies, told about the new membership benefits system at the BelCCI.

The largest business community

The Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry today is the largest business community in the country, uniting over 2600 economic entities representing the full spectrum of Belarusian businesses: from individual entrepreneurs to large enterprises and holdings in various fields of activity.

The reasons and paths leading businesses to the BelCCI are diverse.

 First of all, the Chamber is a helpful assistant in enhancing business activity, an advisor on complex issues related to entrepreneurship, and primarily to foreign economic activities.

  Secondly, the BelCCI offers over 100 types of in-demand services. Members of the Chamber receive discounts on certain services, and some opportunities are provided free of charge as part of the membership fee, which, by the way, is relatively small and its role is mostly to unite and develop the sense of belonging.

For many companies, being a member of the BelCCI is a confirmation of reliability, significance, and belonging to a globally recognized community.

Over the past two years, 429 economic entities have become members of the BelCCI. Every tenth of them joined the Chamber during their first year of operation. The membership base is mainly growing due to small businesses, which make up almost 90 percent of new members.
Moreover, in its efforts to attract enterprises, the BelCCI does not aim solely to increase its membership base by any means but strives to unite those who truly need it. As in all aspects of its activities, the Chamber is guided by the practical needs of companies and entrepreneurs.

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Relevance, benefits, individual approach

Thus far all members of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry had access to the same list of benefits regardless of the size of their business, the membership fee paid, and their specific needs. As a result, the membership opportunities were not clearly structured and could be considered somewhat impersonal, based on standard services provided by chambers of commerce and industry.

However, ongoing dialogue with member enterprises revealed that in modern business conditions targeted support on the most problematic aspects of entrepreneurial activities is crucial.

With this in mind, as of January 1st, the BelCCI has introduced the new approach to providing membership benefits. Now members have the choice between the two packages – "Standard" and "Premium" – depending on their capacity, preferences and needs. International сhamber experience has shown that the "package" approach, offering several sets of membership benefits with varying levels of bonuses and fee sizes, is more actively used by chambers in the regions with high levels of economic development, that aim to provide individualized support to their members.

The "Standard" package includes a basic set of benefits, while the "Premium" package offers an expanded set, with the fee for this package being twice the standard amount. Each BelCCI member can independently choose the extent of membership benefits they receive by paying the corresponding fee for their chosen package.

These new benefit packages include favorable conditions for accessing the truly relevant services, including business education, information services, PR support, business contacts, and most importantly, legal support which is particularly crucial in modern business realities.

External economic sanctions imposed on individual companies and entire countries predetermine new rules for the entrepreneurial community. Today, the fulfillment of obligations directly depends on the quality of the companies' legal activities. Contractor due diligence, search for alternative delivery routes and ways to fulfill obligations that are not subject to sanctions restrictions, preparation of the contract taking into account the transaction peculiarities – the avoidance of any of these operations is likely to lead to the conclusion of unenforceable contracts, the build-up of debts receivable, and the breakdown of logistics and cooperation chains.

The Chamber assists its members by conducting expert reviews of foreign trade contracts, preparing proposals on specific contract terms to avoid uncertainties and unplanned situations.

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Moreover, BelCCI members receive a discount on such services: 10 percent for the "Standard" package and 50 percent for the "Premium" package. A one-time discount on such an issue can easily cover the annual membership fee for an average-sized enterprise.

Recently the BelCCI has also introduced a new service – sanctions compliance, i.e. effectively informing Belarusian economic entities about current restrictive measures and potential risks when conducting foreign economic activities.

It is worth noting that there is currently no centralized info-platform on the application of sanction measures within a specific obligation. Official interpretations and explanations of the application of foreign acts that introduced these measures are carried out by the relevant authorities of the respective states.

As part of sanctions compliance BelCCI experts analyze the risks of working with residents of specific countries, study the possibility of import, transit, or export. The parties to the transaction are checked for the existence of applicable personal sanctions restrictions, and recommendations are provided on how to mitigate the negative consequences of such restrictions and prohibitions.

Our traditional set of services still features contractor check, force majeure certification, and confirming the authenticity of documents used in international economic transactions.

For all these services a 10 percent discount is provided within the "Standard" package and 50 percent – to holders of the "Premium" package. It is worth noting that the discount for obtaining a single conclusion on the existence of force majeure circumstances exceeds the annual membership fee even for a large enterprise.

Discount is also provided to the BelCCI members wishing to join the "Export Academy" business course aimed at practical training for managers and specialists of Belarusian enterprises involved in export development activities, taking into account current changes in the global market environment and new export conditions.

Additionally, Chamber membership provides access to a wide network of BelCCI partner organizations worldwide, offering the opportunity to expand the existing and establish new contacts.

Benefit packages include the opportunity to participate in significant business events organized by the BelCCI, such as the annual meeting with the heads of diplomatic missions of the Republic of Belarus abroad, negotiations with the representatives of foreign diplomatic missions accredited to our country, events with the participation of government officials, and more. The "Premium" package implies priority participation in these events.

Furthermore, the Chamber can serve not only as a networking platform but also as a venue for meetings. BelCCI members can rent the well-equipped Chamber premises in Minsk and regional centers for their own business events on preferential terms or free of charge.

Chamber members can be included in the "Belarusian Exporters" catalogue, which is available on the BelCCI website. By the way, the BelCCI website is annually visited by over three million users from more than 100 countries worldwide.

Quality mark

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BelCCI membership is not only beneficial and advantageous. The Chamber member title is valued worldwide as an indicator of business reliability and stability. Taking this into account, along with the new membership system, a "BelCCI member" design mark has been introduced. It can be used in corporate communications, promotion materials to indicate the companies' membership in the BelCCI, enhance their status and public image, and outline their participation in Chamber programs and events.

In addition, a BelCCI member can also obtain the status of a reliable partner. The Chamber maintains a corresponding registry available online in two languages. It features a list of economic entities whose official information attests to their integrity as partners for entrepreneurial activities in the Republic of Belarus and abroad. Inclusion in the registry is a possibility exclusively available to BelCCI members, and there is no fee for inclusion. Such an opportunity effectively covers the annual membership fee even for large enterprises.

Another confirmation of reliability and status for a BelCCI member, a significant argument in favor for partners, is a recommendation to foreign partner organizations worldwide. The BelCCI members that choose the "Premium" package can receive up to five recommendation letters within one year, thus making themselves known in the markets of five countries.

All these opportunities, as well as many others, are included in the BelCCI membership benefit packages. Moreover, the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is always ready to consider proposals to expand the list.

Furthermore, active development is underway for the personal member account on the cci.by website, aiming to simplify interaction and digitize service provision.

 

We are pleased to welcome all business representatives among the members of the BelCCI.