The island rose to the top of this year’s results of the comparative research “City for business”. This is mainly due to the approach of the public administration. Sokolov and Cheb were placed on other winners’ podiums in the region.
The island succeeded in the public administration approach. Ostrov is home to the largest number of companies with more than 250 employees in terms of the total number of economic entities. The city within the Karlovy Vary region records the highest number of completed apartments per change in the number of inhabitants
| Photo: Source: byznysakce.cz/mestoprobyznys2024
In the research, which is processed by the analytical agency Datank and the results of which are announced at the regional meetings of the Union of Cities and Municipalities of the Czech Republic, all cities and municipalities with extended scope within the entire Czech Republic are evaluated.
The island succeeded in the public administration approach
Ostrov is home to the largest number of companies with more than 250 employees in terms of the total number of economic entities. Within the Karlovy Vary Region, the city records the highest number of completed apartments per change in population. The local town hall devotes above-average financial resources within the region, especially to sports and housing. Entrepreneurs will certainly be pleased with the lowest property tax rate in the region. In particular, the town hall should be praised for the highest scoring of office hours, i.e. the number of office hours during which entrepreneurs, but not only them, can take care of everything needed for their business. The city also achieved a very good result in the electronic communication test, which verifies the quality and speed of trade authorities’ responses through fictitious business questions.
Another traffic complication in Mariánské Lázně: the construction of a roundabout
“I did not expect the city of Ostrov to win in such strong competition. It is the culmination of my year and a half efforts in the position of mayor. But there are a lot of people behind this victory, so I thank them. I hope that the city of Ostrov will continue to like it and that we will be on the podium again next year. I recommend visiting the city of Ostrov, we are trying to develop in the area of housing and business for young people. People from Karlovy Vary also move to Ostrov, it is very close. I am really excited that I came to win the title,” says the mayor of Ostrova, David Hanakovič.
Sokolov manages well, Cheb knows how to draw subsidies
Silver Sokolov records a low age index, i.e. the ratio of people over 65 to people under 15. Entrepreneurs can be pleased by the relative abundance of free labor within the Karlovy Vary region. The town hall manages its economy well, at least as evidenced by the lowest debt service costs in the region. The city’s website was evaluated as the best from the entrepreneur’s point of view, on which all the necessary information for communication with the public administration and a number of other useful information and links are available in a clear form. The third place was occupied by Cheb, which can boast a very high increase in the number of economic entities compared to the others. The number of completed apartments per 1,000 inhabitants is even the highest in the Karlovy Vary region. The City Hall shows the highest proportion of capital expenditure in total expenditure and a very high proportion of subsidies in revenue. Finances go mainly to the area of culture and public transport.
I’m standing on the platform and I’m going to jump under the train, the man called the police in Cheb
“The annual announcement of the regional results of the comparative research “City for business” has traditionally been part of the program of regional meetings of representatives of the Association of Cities and Municipalities of the Czech Republic with representatives of local governments. We are pleased with their interest in presenting their cities as modern places with a wide range of business activities. It is also important for them to compare and contrast with similar large establishments and to share good and bad practice. Award-winning cities in each region are the bearers of new visions and progress, which they were able to transform into modern and life-facilitating projects,” says František Lukl, chairman of the Association of Towns and Municipalities of the Czech Republic.
Overall ranking – City for Business 2023:
1. Island
2. Sokolov
3. Cheb
4. Mariánské Lázně
5. Karlovy Vary
6. Ash
Source: byznysakce.cz/mestoprobyznys2024
