The Belarusian-Polish IPO center has been established at premises of the School of Business and Management of Technology of the Belarusian State University. The Polish-Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Warsaw Stock Exchange contributed to the project from the Polish side. The Belarusian side is represented by the School of Business and Management of Technology.
The first educational event — an advanced training program for IPO specialists — began in the Belarusian-Polish IPO center on 28 March. The program is scheduled to take place from March through June. The decision to set up the Belarusian-Polish IPO center was made during the 20th Belarusian-Polish economic forum Good Neighborliness.
Vladimir Apanasovich, Director of the School of Business and Management of Technology, underlined that for now Belarusian companies are not always ready to sell their shares via a stock exchange. Not many of them know about IPO as a financial instrument. “This is why we are launching the education progress. Certainly, one can hire IPO specialists from Poland but at a huge cost. It is necessary to train our own specialists. Besides, it is necessary to work with top managers of Belarusian companies. They need to understand how such things work,” he explained. Vladimir Apanasovich said that the opening of the Belarusian-Polish IPO center will offer additional opportunities to lecturers. “They will be able to attend lectures of foreign experts and translate this knowledge to students. Apart from that, we offer master-degree education programs and are going to encourage our students to get advanced training,” he remarked.
According to the source, the Belarusian-Polish IPO center will send a wakeup call to the Belarusian stock market. “If shares of a company are traded on the stock exchange, it means that the company operates in line with international standards, its work is transparent and compliant with all the regulations. Besides, such companies are subject to international jurisdiction. It means it will be easier for them to raise funds for development purposes,” stated Vladimir Apanasovich.
The Director of the School of Business and Management of Technology reminded that several Belarusian companies — EPAM, Milavitsa, and Asbis — have gone public via international platforms. “Yet many Belarusian companies have no idea how to use IPO. We hope that our educational programs will be able to mend the situation,” he said.
Managing Director of the Warsaw Stock Exchange Izabela Olszewska remarked that there is a great potential in Belarus and the macroeconomic situation is on the mend. “The IT sector is a good example. Yet Belarusian companies need to diversify their sources of funding. They primarily rely on bank loans now. The Warsaw Stock Exchange could help with that,” she stated.
A memorandum of cooperation between the National Agency of Investment and Privatization of Belarus and the Polish-Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry was signed on 28 March. According to Natalya Nikandrova, Director of the National Agency of Investment and Privatization, the memorandum will allow invigorating Belarusian-Polish interaction. “We already work with the Polish-Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry but this document will take our cooperation to the next level,” she concluded.
Source: BelTA