Republic

Belarus President wants development targets of small towns raised

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has tasked the government and oblast administrations with raising main development targets of small and medium urban communities. “The development goals should be as tense to reach as possible,” remarked Alexander Lukashenko, as he was summing up results of the permanent seminar for executives of national and local state administration bodies. “It is bad when I’m told that the measures outlined by the state programme have been fulfilled, with more than half of them ahead of schedule, but no tangible economic effect has been felt. It means either the reports use perfunctory parameters or the measures themselves are perfunctory,” the head of state told the government and representatives of local government bodies. Alexander Lukashenko said, “Quit being official and get down to work with rolled up sleeves. No additions or formalism can work here.” The state programme for the development of small and medium urban communities provides for building 57 new industrial enterprises, modernising 80 existing ones, reconstructing 56 agribusiness and service facilities. According to the President, it is insufficient. The President believes, the existing manufacturing facilities should be optimised in view of the available raw stock supply areas, regional specialisation and possible sales areas. The revival of small and medium urban communities should be turned into a large-scale national project and treated as a top government priority with all the responsibility, noted the President. Alexander Lukashenko underlined, joint efforts of all government bodies, businessmen and people will be needed to implement the project. According to Alexander Lukashenko, “We should not commit the errors and blunders the start of the rural revival programme saw.”