STIMULATION OF ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY OF THE RURAL POPULATION IN THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRITORIES OF TRANSCARPATHIA

Topicality. Transcarpathian region is characterized by clearly expressed spatial vertical zoning, which includes lowland, foothills, and mountain natural and economic zones. These administrative-territorial formations differ among themselves in terms of natural and climatic conditions and resource-production potential, which imposes a certain specificity on economic activity and creates unequal economic conditions. The situation is particularly difficult in mountain settlements, the vast majority of which are underdeveloped. As a result, the vast majority of mountain villages found themselves in a state of stagnation, they are characterized by a low intensity of economic activity, a poorly diversified structure of the economy, insufficient scientific and technical potential, and a poorly developed industrial and social infrastructure. Systematic studies of transformational processes in mountain settlements convincingly prove that one of the promising ways out of the crisis situation is to increase the social activity of the rural population by involving them in the sphere of entrepreneurial activity and commerce.Hence the relevance and increased interest of the scientific community in the analysis of the state and trends in the development of entrepreneurship in the mountain settlements of the region.Aim and tasks. The purpose of the study is to analyze and evaluate the main trends in the development of entrepreneurial activity in the mountain settlements of the Transcarpathian region and the formation of effective mechanisms and incentives for the entrepreneurial activity of the rural population.Materials and Methods. The following methods were used when writing the paper: abstract-logical (to study the stratification of the goals of entrepreneurs), retrospective (to compare the obtained data with the previous period), system analysis (to find out the state and trends of business development), prognostic (to form state policy for the development of mountain areas), sociological monitoring (to obtain information on the formation of adaptation strategies for the development of entrepreneurship).Research results. In accordance with the set goal, the article pays considerable attention to the analysis of economic strategies and related stratification goals of rural entrepreneurs operating in the priority areas of the economy in the mountain settlements of the region. On the basis of the results of sociological monitoring, motivational factors have been identified that became an incentive to entrepreneurial activity, as well as those that inhibit business development. In the process of monitoring, considerable attention is paid to the study of respondents' opinions regarding the perspective of the vision of their own business development, their intentions regarding the attraction of investments in its development. Conceptually, the article presents the author's vision of solving a complex set of problems that can give a significant impetus to the activation of entrepreneurial activity in mountain settlements and the involvement of broad segments of the population in the sphere of business and commerce. It has been proven that the activation of entrepreneurial activity requires the adoption of the State Program for the Development of Rural Industry as a basic segment of the economy of mountain settlements and the development of a package of legislative acts regarding state support and stimulation of the business activity of the mountain population.Conclusion. The applied significance of the work consists in substantiating approaches to the formation of an effective business environment in mountainous areas and the use of economic tools capable of activating the business activity of the population.