Opinions & Interviews

ORSHA, 13 August (BelTA) – The quality of work done by municipal government agencies and top production sector officials to develop the Orsha tool-making plant is extremely poor. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko made the relevant statement as he visited the enterprise on 13 August, BelTA has learned.

The head of state saw failures to reach goals on approach to the enterprise. He pointed out that even attempts to beautify the territory of the enterprise had not produced the desired results. Everything had been done hastily and shoddily. “You don’t like people. You don’t like the enterprise. If you go for whitewashing, put some curb stone instead of placing asphalt on top of grass. What kind of technology is that? This is why people sometimes hate civil servants. They are hated for come-what-may attitudes and messy results,” said the head of state.

The conversation continued in the same manner after the tour of the enterprise. The president was extremely dissatisfied with what he had seen. “Most likely, we will send [Industry] Minister [Vitaly Vovk] to work here. He has a choice: either prison or working here. I say it openly. Your results have been terrible so far. Don’t ever try to whitewash things. You are a young executive. You are in charge here. I don’t want to see any failures or shortcomings when I come again here before the new year. You know what will happen,” the president told the enterprise’s Director Vladislav Bardyukov.

The head of state explained why it is so important to restore the effective work of the enterprise. There are many processing and manufacturing enterprises in Belarus. Each of them starting with major companies like Gomselmash and ending with small agricultural enterprises needs tools. “I wouldn’t hold on to it so much if we didn’t need these products so much,” stressed the Belarusian leader. “This is why the tool-making plant has to be properly restored so that Gomselmash, MTZ, MAZ, and all the other enterprises, even processing and agricultural ones, could get good tools. This is why I hold on to this plant.”

“For now I see an idiotic attitude to my instructions. But I know what needs to be done. I have sufficient authority. As of tomorrow the industry minister should work here. What post he will occupy is up to you,” said the president.

During the tour of the enterprise Alexander Lukashenko was informed about the financial and economic state of the tool-making plant, development prospects, and measures being taken to ensure stable operation. Certain positive results have been achieved, however, Alexander Lukashenko was fiercely critical, saying everything is being done extremely slowly, way past the deadlines, with the enterprise’s assets and manufacturing premises used carelessly. Most of the premises are terrible to look at. The roof leaks in some places. “What kind of workstations are these?! It is some torture chamber! People do backbreaking work here for $200 per month!” the head of state criticized the local working conditions.

The president was also displeased with the slow acquisition of new equipment. The equipment is vital since it will enable the enterprise to perform more complicated orders, which will bring more profits. For now the enterprise uses machine tools, which are decades old. The enterprise management has taken a number of steps to procure new equipment, but no practical results have been achieved so far. Alexander Lukashenko pointed out that Orsha District is also home to the machine-tools factory Krasny Borets, which director Alexander Shulgin was also present during the tour of the Orsha tool-making plant. Alexander Shulgin confirmed his enterprise was capable of promptly supplying most of the equipment the Orsha tool-making plant needs. “You knew what I demand. Why didn’t you say that no imports were needed, no tenders were needed because Krasny Borets makes the necessary kind of equipment?” Alexander Lukashenko asked the civil servants.

Alexander Lukashenko gave instructions to arrange the acquisition of the necessary equipment from the machine-tools factory Krasny Borets as well as other Belarusian manufacturers and import only the equipment the local manufacturers cannot provide. “Start bringing in machine tools today. With the profit margins you have now. Take these lots and orders and start delivering machine tools at existing prices,” Alexander Lukashenko told the director of the machine-tools factory Krasny Borets.

The president also urged to bring things to order inside the unused shops and in the territory of the enterprise. He urged to repair the roof and think about effective ways to utilize the unused premises. Alexander Lukashenko repeatedly stressed that everything should be done properly in a businesslike manner, bearing long-term goals in mind without any whitewashing.

The Orsha tool-making plant makes cutting tools, auxiliary tools, and measuring instruments primarily for mechanical engineering enterprises. The enterprise is implementing an investment project to start making modern metal-cutting and auxiliary tools by embracing innovative technological processes. The first stage of the project is supposed to be finished by Q2 2019. The output is expected to reach Br1 million. Thanks to the retooling campaign the enterprise will be able to start making at least 200 new kinds of cutting and auxiliary tools with improved precision and performance parameters. The enterprise will be able to make up to Br3 million worth of merchandise per month by 2021 as a result.