PROBLEMATIC ASPECTS AND PRIORITIES OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN UKRAINE

Abstract

The article highlights the economic and social role of the small and medium-sized business sector in the national economy. The importance of its development is emphasized, which is closely related to the improvement of welfare and democratization of society, strengthening of stability and economic security of the country, improvement of investment attractiveness of the economy. A number of scientific directions on research of problematic aspects of func-tioning and development of small and medium-sized entrepreneurship have been selected. The basic indicators of small and medium-sized entrepreneurship development in Ukraine were calculated. The problem of decrease of the number of employed in the domestic sector of small and medium-sized enterprises is emphasized. The problem of irrational for-mation of the structure of small businesses is identified. The high role of small and medium-sized enterprises in ensur-ing macroeconomic stability of the national economy has been proved and for this purpose the sector’s share in the total volume of goods and services output in market prices and sold products (goods, services) as well as the total num-ber of economic entities and employed workers is calculated. The expressed imbalance among small and medium-sized entrepreneurs and individual entrepreneurs according to the index of the share of enterprises in the total number of economic entities has been noted. The problematic aspects of financial, economic and investment development of small and medium-sized enterprises have been highlighted. In particular, the share of unprofitable enterprises remains high, business activity is deteriorating, capital expenditures are insufficient. Despite a number of positive trends in the direc-tion of social and economic development (increase in staff costs, labor remuneration, social measures), the average monthly wage, which almost exceeds the legislative minimum, is low, the social measures are low. Priority directions (organizational-institutional, financial-investment, economic-resource, informational-psychological) and in accordance with each set of instruments of the state policy for the development of small and medium-sized entrepreneurship were formed.