THE FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONFERENCE - SECOND EDITION / RAVI BUCK, ECONOMIC OFFICER AT THE US EMBASSY: "Romania needs to encourage entrepreneurial spirit more"

Romania must encourage entrepreneurial spirit more, through greater transparency and through a more stable fiscal environment, Ravi Buck, economic officer of the US Embassy told BURSA.

"The US supports Romania's economic growth. A better information system should be available to entrepreneurs, so it can be clear how a business can be developed and the taxes they have to pay. That is why the stability of the fiscal environment is very important".

At the conference, Mr. Buck encouraged entrepreneur women, showing that they have a very important part in the economic growth of every country: "Start-ups and small businesses are crucial when it comes to the economic growth and the creation of new jobs. They also represent an important source of innovation. In April 2010, president Obama established a new global program (Global Entrepreneurship Program) to support entrepreneurship in our partner countries. Entrepreneurial spirit is very important. According to a report by the OECD, of October 2013, companies that are less than 5 years old, have created almost half of the number of jobs created in the OECD countries over the last ten years. For instance, Facebook, started by two students in 2004, now has 6,000 employees all over the world, of which 1,000 are in Europe".

Ravi Buck also reminded that Hillary Clinton, former secretary of state, has said that entrepreneurship is a way of looking at the world and seeing opportunities past the obstacles, but also that any person that has imagination, and the determination and ability to implement its ideas is an entrepreneur.

Mr. Buck also said: "The most important aspect needed for entrepreneurial success is to have a favorable climate for small and medium enterprises. Samira Cook, the representative of the Washington Businesswomen Center recently talked about the accomplishments of Romanian businesspeople and she said that women account for 34% of the total number of people that are self-employed and that approximately 50% of the approximately half a million businesswomen lead their own business".

The official of the US Embassy recommends more communication between the government and the business sector and the implementation of a network allowing SMEs to communicate.