Opinions & Interviews

ORSHA, 14 August (BelTA) – Eighty-seven out of 126 instructions that Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko gave to boost Orsha District have been fulfilled, Head of the Belarus President Administration Natalya Kochanova said at a session held on 14 August to discuss the progress made in the implementation of the instructions on the comprehensive development of Orsha District, BelTA informs.

“The Administration is monitoring the implementation of 126 instructions of the head of the state regarding the development of Orsha District. As of today, 87 of them have been fulfilled. Thirty-two instructions have not been implemented. This is 24.3% of the total, or every fourth instruction,” Natalya Kochanova said. She added that the most important tasks assigned to the government and the Vitebsk Oblast Executive Committee have not been carried out.

"The instructions were given in April 2017. They concerned industry, agriculture, construction, housing and utility services, trade and social sector,” she said.

Over the time the Council of Ministers held eight presidium sessions. “No results have been achieved despite the fact that all the proposals of the government and the Vitebsk Oblast Executive Committee on the development of Orsha District organizations were immediately supported by the head of state. The proposals envisaged funding, construction of facilities in a simplified order, provision of land without auctions and many more,” said Natalya Kochanova.

According to her, effective and non-standard solutions that would help speed up procurement procedures and modernization processes, as well as meet the requirements of the head of state quickly and qualitatively, have not been submitted to the president. “In fact, no one took care of deeply problematic enterprises. The Council of Ministers, at the level of the deputy prime minister, has approved and reapproved the comprehensive plan for the development of Orsha District several times. However, this plan has no systemic measures aimed at sustainable and long-term development of the district,” she said.

Head of the Belarus President Property Management Directorate Viktor Sheiman reported on the progress made in the implementation of the instructions. According to him, 45 large and medium-sized organizations of the district have been monitored. Almost 60% of the enterprises are characterized as unsound and permanently insolvent. Working conditions at some enterprises are terrible, Viktor Sheiman stated.

Checks helped discover and prevent facts of mismanagement, false reporting, and misstatement of financial results. It has been repeatedly noted that measures to restore order and bring enterprises to sustainable operation are not enough. All the violations were reported to local authorities and competent bodies.

The government, together with the local authorities, has developed a set of measures to solve the problems that have accumulated in the area. This is, however, not enough, although some problem enterprises have started showing positive results. Stable work of the region in general has not been provided. The number of people employed in the economy of the district is decreasing. The number of laid-off workers exceeds the number of hired people. Some of them work part-time.

Viktor Sheiman also spoke in detail about the problems at a number of enterprises, their financial, economic and technical condition.