Belarusian park of the PVT high technologies

Performance Indicators

Support of the sphere led to the fact that export of IT services for 2017-2019 grew by 2.4 times. Growth of production volume for the first half of the year 2019 was 166%, total exports of services of residents of PVT for 2019 exceeded $2 billion. For January, 2020 in PVT was 758 companies with a total quantity more than 58 thousand people working in them are registered.

The total amount of export of "The park of high technologies" in 2017 exceeded $1.025 billion. PVT did not exclude that export volume in 2018 will reach $1.4-1.5 billion.

Residents

For the beginning of 2019 in the park 454 residents. These are the Belarusian legal persons much with the foreign capital.

Special tax legal regime of PVT

PVT has a special tax legal regime for development of IT business in the country. And though, strictly speaking, it is not the free economic zone, but in fact the Park represents jurisdiction which functions by exterritoriality. The companies registered in the Park and individual entrepreneurs can use the preferences provided to them irrespective of the location of their Belarusian office.

In the territory of PVT provisions of the Belarusian Decree No. 8 "About development of digital economy" which became effective in March, 2018 work. According to this Decree, till January 1, 2049 residents of the Park are exempted from the majority of taxes, including income tax. In November, 2018 the Supervisory board of the Park approved the documents which are in details regulating work of the cryptocurrency industry.

Working conditions of programmers

2020

According to Belstat, average added (i.e. before tax) salary in the industry according to the results of February was about 4700 is white. rub. It is more, than in any other industry, and about 4.2 times more, than the average salary over the country. But in February ruble salary decreased in comparison with January by 1.5%. In a currency equivalent, due to growth of a rate, salary decreased by 3.4%. What to tell about March when the dollar rose in price to ruble more than for 16%.

In April freezing of projects, salary reduction and reduction of staff take place, but there is all this on the companies very unevenly. The situation strongly depends on on what projects and in what sphere developers work. On the one hand, if the IT project is connected with tourism / sdachey-arendoy premises/rates on sport and other industries to which in the world the greatest blow is struck, then working on such projects it is necessary most heavier. On the other hand, the projects connected with communications, remote work, medicine (including, telemedicine), mobile financial services, online investment, etc. now not only do not experience difficulties, but even extend.

2015

For 2015 average earnings of the Belarusian programmer make 1500 dollars (average earnings over the country — 420 dollars). The salary of project managers with a 10-year experience in the narrow industries (for example, programming under specific platforms of mobile phones) reaches 5-6 thousand dollars.

If in the middle of the 2000th the programmer was only one of demanded professions, then in 2015 IT specialty at the son — a dream of almost each Belarusian family: it became a guarantee of financial wellbeing. For qualified specialists there is a real war of personnel departments therefore the standard social package in the industry — though is typical for any western company, to the Belarusian measures still looks very impressively.

— As a rule, to the employee of the IT company buy the health insurance, the subscription in sports or fitness club. Some companies do a discount for a lunch to 50 percent. Somewhere we have rent housing which the companies lease to the employees for a symbolical payment. But housing is generally built own — we have programmer housing cooperatives, several apartment houses already constructed directly here, in the territory of PVT.

History

2018: Inflow of 200 new resident companies after adoption of the decree about cryptocurrencies

The decree "About digital economy" (see below) had an economic task "sell" "The park of high technologies". "Sold" legality of tokens. Hyped, having announced that all is possible. Yes, all is possible, but only through special operators of PVT. Caught monsters on a bait in the form of a blockchain and stuck a harpoon on the gills".

To the decree, it continues, "everything was to spit on "The park of high technologies" in some there Belarus":

"Americans of Bela Cruz called us. And so they where we there on the world map had to understand. We as the country were advertized! "Park" gained a huge number of players. They ran in PVT where they told them: you here so far be engaged in it, that, and the crypt will be soon".

For the first 12 years of existence of PVT only 188 companies, and on cryptohype only for 2018 — nearly 200 more came there. The head of department of public information and the international cooperation of administration of PVT Kirill Zalessky told that after in November, 2018 became effective regulation of all cryptosphere, 70 more IT firms registered in Park: "All in it for the beginning of 2019 454 residents. These are the Belarusian legal persons much with the foreign capital".

2017

Export of residents of "The park of high technologies" exceeded 1 billion dollars

The total amount of export of residents of "The park of high technologies" in 2017 exceeded $1.025 billion. The associate director of administration of PVT Alexander Martinkevich reported about it.

'About 45% of what becomes in PVT goes to the USA. This is the largest consumer of IT technologies. On the second place – the market of the European Union. These are such countries as Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Switzerland. Those which are engaged in creation of the industry 4.0', – Alexander Martinkevich told^[1].

Vsevolod Yanchevsky is a CEO. The revolutionary decree about cryptocurrencies and smart contracts

Everything began on March 13, 2017 when Alexander Lukashenko, Mikhail Gutseriev, Victor Prokopenya and Vsevolod Yanchevsky gathered in the Minsk office VP Capital.

The Belarusian leader came with President box of chocolates, released by his order Kommunarka factory. The box was useful: instead of the planned hour the meeting lasted three. Interlocutors ate candies and discussed what to do with the IT sector.

The intention essence to Alexander Lukashenko was explained by Mikhail Gutseriev. Victor Prokopenya reported that his partner "helped to inform the president and other high-ranking Belarusian officials why regulation is equitable to the interests of the state".

Other interlocutor of Kommersant compared a role of mister Gutseriev to work of the translator: ""Fichering is when from all directions pablisher sapportit you" — on it approximately language Prokopenya talks. The father would not understand such language. Gutseriev translated".

Mikhail Gutseriev modestly attributes all merits to Alexander Lukashenko.

"It was the courageous and brilliant solution of Alexander Grigoryevich, and for it to it low bow. Nobody in the world guessed before. Even America. Today IT product companies are created in America, and we direct the money there. We should create conditions that $10 billion came to Belarus. That to Belarus not guest workers of the street came to sweep, and intellectually developed people from the USA, Russia, Ukraine, Canada. My personal purpose: within this initiative I am going to create three-five IT product companies. I do not apply for bigger" — the billionaire explained to the tut.by portal.

After the meeting behind box of chocolates work on the new legislation began. In two days — on March 15, 2017 — the management of "The park of high technologies" was replaced. The checked president's colleague Vsevolod Yanchevsky headed it. In a team of the Belarusian leader it from the middle of the 1990th: at presidential elections of 1994 distributed leaflets and agitated for then still the oppositional candidate Lukashenko, and was not mistaken. When the oppositionist became a president, Vsevolod Yanchevsky came to the power too. Long directed the Head ideological department of Presidential Administration, purchased the hardware weight and trust of the first person.

In April Alexander Lukashenko announced the 2017th in the message to the Belarusian people and the National Assembly:

Construction of the IT country will be the next stage of development. Everything that is implemented in the field of high technologies in the world, should find application in Belarus: artificial intelligence, augmented reality, unmanned vehicles, blockchain technology, digital currencies".

In July the draft of the presidential decree was ready. Vsevolod Yanchevsky supervised interdepartmental approval of the document. Mister Yanchevsky's acquaintance so described the work done by him:

"Imagine the train from a set of cars. To get to the chief of the train and to tell with what speed to move forward, it is necessary to pass all cars. In everyone the controller: "Stand what you bear?" If you do not convince the controller, he will pull an emergency brake. Yanchevsky was that who with the decree passed all cars in hands".

The decree was prepared as fast as possible. The final version went to presidential administration at the end of 2017. Hurried not just like that. The world was covered by cryptocurrency fever: the rate of bitcoin broke a record behind a record, and on December 16, 2017 exceeded $20 thousand. And in five days Alexander Lukashenko appended the signature under decree No. 8. Also there was a sensation.

The document actually sets in Belarus the free economic zone for any cryptocurrencies. Bitcoins and other tokens can be got, sold and inherited freely. And for individuals the tax-exempt mode is set – production of cryptocurrency is not considered business activity. Legalized the cryptoexchanges, turnover of tokens and cryptocurrencies, the IT companies allotted benefits, and in the legislation implemented elements of the British right.

A role of the regulator is played by the Belarusian analog submitting to the president Russian Skolkovo there is "Park of High Technologies" (PHT). Only residents of PVT can take all legislative advantages.

Changes also are made to basic provisions of work of the Park of high technologies. The list of types of activity of the companies admissible for the accession to PVT is significantly expanded.

Besides visas and bureaucratic formalities at employment of foreign specialists are cancelled. Documentary load of members of PVT decreased, many limits which interfered with work of the companies with foreign partners are lifted. Read more here.

2015

21 thousand people. List of 138 residents

For 2015 in the territory of PVT only a small part from 138 IT companies entering it is located: there would hardly be enough place for all. The IT community is organized by the exterritorial principle: the company can be in any point of the country, the main thing — that it corresponded to criteria of PVT. In this case it uses a preferential operation mode and makes the contribution to impressive statistics.

21,000 people - the total number of the employees working in PVT for July, 2015.

The complete list of residents of PVT as of June, 2015 includes the following companies:

• Apalon Apps, Ltd company
• Artezio, Unitary Enterprise
• Softefiks Dev, Unitary Enterprise
• Avem, Ltd company
• Avest, Ltd
• OUCH DZHI SOFTWARE IS WHITE, STATE OF EMERGENCY
• Aybiey Aytipark, SP
• Ah-Dzhi of Maidens, Ltd company
• Aypruvd Software, Ltd company
• Aytilekt, LLC
• Ayeyches Global, SP
• Alparigroup, LLC
• Altoros Development, LLC
• Artoks Lab, LLC
• Atlantkonsaltsoft, LLC
• Atlas SOFTWARE, Ltd company
• Bai Tiekh Cuoliushn, Ltd company
• Bayleks Maltimedia, IP
• Byte of Protekt, state of emergency
• Belabat, SOOO
• Belitsoft international, SOOO
• Belkhard Development, LLC
• Brimit, LLC
• Bell Integrator, LLC
• Vayber Media, LLC
• Vaymiks, LLC
• Vayron Ayti, LLC
• Viaden Media, LLC
• Viarp Klaud Solyushenz, Ltd company
• Vipiay development center, Ltd company
• VirusBlokAda, ODO
• Galantissoft, IP
• Gambino, Ltd company
• GBSoft, LLC
• Game Stream, SOOO
• Gersis Software, Ltd company
• Teknolodzhis Yurop, SP waited
• Dana Netvorks, IChPUP
• Jay Netvorks, Individual Enterprise
• DZHENEREYSHN-PI CONSULTING, LLC
• Didzhigrad, SP
• Euroautomatic telephone exchange, Private enterprise
• ERPBEL, SOOO
• The WILLOW is the Gomel-park, Child ChPUP
• Softvare's Iksb, Ltd company
• Ying Tu Soft, LLC
• Inventeyn, Ltd company
• Intelligent systems, closed joint stock company
• Intetiks It is white, SOOO
• Intekssoft, LLC
• Information and technology alliance, Ltd company
• Inshurans Solyushens, LLC
• IP Bogomolov A. P.
• Issoft solyushnz, SP
• Itransition, Ltd
• ITS Partner, Ltd company
• And - Ex-Pi Capital, LLC
• Kaktussoft, state of emergency
• Design office of system programming, joint stock company
• Kyyuliks Sistems, Ltd
• Lakshmi, NPOOO
• LVO, LTD COMPANY
• Levereks international, LLC
• Librasoft, LLC
• Luxoft, NT of Ltd company
• Mapsoft, Ltd
• Large-scale solutions, Ltd company
• Melsoft, state of emergency
• Nauchsoft, JV Ltd
• Nival Netvortk, Ltd company
• NTLAB-sistemy, Private enterprise
• New Ayti Autsors, LLC
• Objekt Stil, IP CHUP
• Ozone Consulting, SOOO
• OMEGASOFTVER, SP
• Pi-consult Bai, Ltd company
• Pleytika Bel, IOOO
• PMIS-Softprodukt, JV
• Predizo, LLC
• Premium Soft, LLC
• Applied systems, Ltd company
• Prognozbel, Ltd company
• Promvad Soft, LLC
• Relsoft, LLC
• Fleece Sistemz, unitary enterprise
• Red Rock, Ltd company
• Sayberri Siayes, LLC
• Sayensvizhn, SOOO
• Saytodr, Ltd company
• Sakrament of IT, ChUP
• Sampad, Ltd company
• Samsolyushns, IP
• Sberbank-Tekhnologii, LLC
• SVEY, LTD COMPANY
• Seavus, IOOO
• BLR, IOOO sedan
• Sensotronika, Ltd company
• SIB softver, IOOO [7]
• Synes, LLC
• System technologies, SOOO
• Sitek Engineering, LLC
• Skend, Ltd company
• Software of the Security guard Sistems, state of emergency
• Softgarantservice, Unitary Enterprise
• Softekas Development, IOOO
• Softekas Flesh Solyushens, LLC
• SOFTKLUB-Centre razrabotki, Ltd
• Soft-Perspektiva, LLC
• Softteko, Ltd company
• Spesifik-Group Softve Development Divizhn, SOOO
• Sproayti, individual enterprise
• STAYLSOFT, CHNPUP
• STDEV, Ltd company
• STHM Media, LLC
• Tektus Media, LLC
• Tekhartgroup, Ltd company
• TKP-Soft, LLC
• Top Soft, IP
• Exact solutions, ODO
• E-Vizhn Unitary Enterprise
• Management company of Novacom, LLC holding
• Foranks, SOOO
• Fordekonsalting, LLC
• FP TREYD, OH
• Haykvo Solyushens, SOOO
• Hyumen Sistem, LLC
• Numerical methods, SOOO
• Economy software, ODO
• Eksadel, IOOO
• Exxon Ai Ti, LLC
• Expozit, LLC
• Ektiv Tekhnolodzhis, Ltd company
• EPAM Sistemz, IOOO
• Erikpol Brest, IOOO
• R-Style Lab, IOOO
• Effective programs, Ltd company
• Yandeksbel, Ltd company
• YaSO Backup, SOOO

Training

Tax benefits — only iceberg top. Success of PVT would not be possible, be not in Belarus enough qualified personnel.

— We, apparently, created model of interaction, absolutely new to the former Soviet Union, between the industry and an education system in IT — the head of PVT Tsepkalo said in 2015. He explains a key part of the problem: some universities for workforce recruiting are not always enough, technologies develop quicker, than universities manage to update training programs, and it is a universal problem.

- The first that we made — the director continues — delivered on interaction with universities, having opened 65 laboratories there — the director of PVT continues. — It is Stanford model which is applied in Silicon Valley: in addition to obligatory university rates students can come to open classrooms which are conducted by the invited teachers (visiting professors) — most often it is the staff of the companies entering into PVT. They help students to overcome a gap between the academic knowledge and real requirements of the industry.

The average Belarusian student IT specialist gets a job the programmer on the third - the fourth year (hr-managers of the IT companies hunt for the most talented already from the first rates). The one who missed this moment or the person without technical education can go to the PVT education center or to other IT rates, declarations of which hang nearly on each Minsk column.

In the 1990th the American of the Jewish origin John Bryce — one of those by whose efforts Israel from mainly agricultural country became the regional IT leading used this model.

— Bryce created the training center under mass immigration of Jews from the former USSR in the 1990th — began to train emigrants in IT specialties there, to prepare for work in these centers. It helped to attract to the country several American companies — Motorola, Hewlett-Packard and others which built development centers in Israel. We created the PVT education center on Bryce's model, and it was very effective.

Training in the PVT education center paid. But the Park has an arrangement with leading companies of the industry: if the student after the termination of rates successfully takes internal tests of the developer and gets to it for work, then the employer compensates it the total cost of training at once. If tests fails — respectively does not receive compensation.

IT rates in Belarus divorced recently so many that recently the Ministry of Education of the country decided to arrange them. Tsepkalo does not see in it need, after their termination do not issue the state diploma.

— In the IT industry it is not important what diploma at you. Important, what knowledge you have. You can not have the diploma at all, but if you learned and own some technology, it is appreciated.

2014

The total revenue of residents is $650 million. Export - 45%

The Belarusian Park of High Technologies (PHT) in 2014 earned 650 million dollars. It is three times more, than was stated in business plans from the 2006th when organization was created. 45 percent of revenue are the share of EU countries, about 40 more — to North America. In 2014 grew by 30 percent because the base became already too big. In 2015 growth uzhidatsya will be for 30 percent too. In the 2016th revenue, according to plans of the management, will pass for one billion dollars.

90% of this amount — export income. At the same time, the director of PVT says, it is important to understand: for the republic in its scales it is a lot of as revenue in IT — unlike traditional branches of the economy — net.

At the BelAZ during its best time, in 2005-2006, the balance of the balance of payments was 300 million dollars. Volumes Minsk tractor it seems big, he exports machines for one billion dollars. But in order that he on one billion delivered, it should deliver on 950 million component parts. As a result he earns currencies of only 50 million dollars. Import parts are not necessary to us. Therefore contribution PVT to GDP of Belarus is more, than all main engineering enterprises — MTZ, MAZ, the BelAZ, Gomselmash, Lidselmash, Amkodor — combined.

And on a share of computer developments in national GDP Belarus, thanks to PVT, came to the second place in the region of Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East. On the first place — Israel. However, the director of PVT Valery Tsepkalo says that technically his country in terms of development of the IT industry just and reminds Israel. At the same time the main model for imitation, he, Silicon Valley, a hub emphasizes a high tech developments in the west of the USA^[2].

Arrival of developers from Russia and from Ukraine

Crisis of 2013-2014 in the countries neighbors helped the Belarusian IT industry to entice specialists from there. A story about how only one company Wargaming "wholesale" transported the 200th developer game from Moscow, managed to acquire rumors in the Belarusian IT community. According to Tsepkalo, the Belarusian companies for the last year employed also several hundreds of programmers from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine. The director of PVT adds that in the Park also other foreigners — from the Netherlands, Germany, with the USA, South Korea work. But there is no mass inflow of expats:

"Objectively, Belarus not that country where too favorable conditions for immigration are created" — Tsepkalo says.

The 2010th: From outsourcing to creation of own IT products

In the 2010th the industry matures: from outsourcing programming a part of the companies passes to creation of own product. In Belarus there are own IT brands which gain the world fame — Viber, Apollon, Maps.Me, Wargaming (the publisher of the most profitable game World of Tanks in the world). Now in the country in parallel develop new — "branded" — and old — outsourcing — model. The outsourcing companies, however, became choosy: undertake only large external orders — mainly in bank, financial and oil and gas spheres. So, according to the director of PVT Valery Tsepkalo, performance grows: if revenue of PVT grows for 30 percent a year, then number of working — only for 15 percent.

The 2000th: Special tax regime

History PVT began in the middle of the 2000th — with the decree of the president of Belarus who proclaimed a specific mode of taxation for its residents: the cut-down income tax and a limited rate of contributions to social insurance funds from one salary. Decree No. 12 "About the Park of high technologies" was signed by the President of Republic of Belarus on September 22, 2005.

The Belarusian industry of high technologies was at that time provided by the bureaus of developments which got in heritage from the USSR — Scientific Research Institute EVM, the Integral plant and the computer plant of Ordzhonikidze (nowadays MPOVT) and also a great number of programmers who "riveted" the code by foreign orders, not especially troubling itself payment of taxes.

For several years mainly outsourcing industry grew to considerable, by estimates of residents of PVT, orders from Google, Microsoft, Deutsche Bank and other giants.

See Also

• Technoparks of Russia

Notes