Business news

MINSK, 23 November (BelTA) – The government should ensure efficient and transparent trade on external markets, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said at the nationwide conference to discuss measures to raise the efficiency of the Belarusian construction industry on 23 November, BelTA informs.

The head of state noted that manufacturing a product is not the goal in itself. The most important thing is to be able to sell a product at a profit. The Council of Ministers reports that over 40% of all building materials are exported. However, the president noted that a significant part of cement is sold to Russia via Eurocement Group.

“The government has failed to fulfill the instruction to establish Belarus’ own efficient commodity distribution network in Russia. Cement does not sell via the commodity exchange, either, because the prices there are higher than what they could be on direct supply contracts. All this creates preconditions for corruption and shady schemes. Therefore, I want the government to secure efficient and transparent trade on external markets. The State Control Committee, the State Security Committee, the prosecutor’s office and the Minister of the Interior should closely monitor these efforts,” the head of state noted.

The Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade was instructed to look into each case of creating artificial barriers for selling Belarusian products on the Eurasian market and to take immediate measures against it. “You have a leading role in this process,” Alexander Lukashenko emphasized.

“I was informed that the money for the construction of Garlyk Mining and Processing Plant has not been received yet. I am waiting for the solution of this issue. Apart from that, Russians did not pay for the facilities built in Kaluga for the FIFA World Cup in Russia. The government should immediately get involved in addressing these issues. If needed, you can approach the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, our representatives at the Eurasian Economic Commission,” the president said.