A. Lukashenko expects proposals for investments in the Orsha Aircraft Repair Plant within a month

May 11, Orsha District / BELTA correspondent. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko expects proposals for investment in the Orsha Aircraft Repair Plant within a month. He announced this on May 11 during a working trip to the Vitebsk region and a visit to this enterprise, BELTA was informed by the press service of the Belarusian leader. The head of state familiarized himself with the current state of affairs at OJSC "Orsha Aircraft Repair Plant" and the development prospects of the enterprise and the adjacent territory. Currently, the Orsha Aircraft Repair Plant is not sufficiently loaded. "What are we going to do with the plant?" Alexander Lukashenko addressed the head of the enterprise upon arrival at the plant. "After all, we agreed: if the manager and the minister are to blame for the plant not working, then they should not work. It was clearly stated: if people are not working, then they should be replaced," the President stated. "And today we are clinging to an investment project like a drowning man to a straw," said the head of state. The issue concerns the consideration of the participation of CJSC "BeltechExport" in an investment project for the modernization of the plant. Expected investments in the plant's development are $45 million. Alexander Lukashenko instructed to prepare the necessary documents with proposals for investing in this plant within a month. "In a month, I must have plans on my desk for the development of the territory and the core itself - the Orsha Aircraft Repair Plant," the President demanded. "This is a unique place, unique people, a unique history and traditions, and a preserved building," he said. "I am not going to sell one workshop or a runway. I want an investor to come here and take over the military town, take all the infrastructure, the airfield, the production facilities, and do here what is not available in Belarus. I am not going to give away the plant piece by piece." According to the head of state, not only the director of this plant, but also the heads of the regional executive committee and the district executive committee should play a significant role in the modernization of the enterprise. Alexander Lukashenko instructed them to get fully involved in the work and start measures to bring the plant to efficient operation. At the same time, according to the head of state, in the future, all premises of the plant, all buildings should be utilized. "If there is an investor, then he will also get involved in this. If not, then you will do everything yourselves," noted Alexander Lukashenko. The President also attached special importance to the issue of developing the social sphere of the urban-type settlement of Bolbasovo, where the Orsha Aircraft Repair Plant is located. OJSC "Orsha Aircraft Repair Plant" is a leading enterprise in Belarus for the overhaul of various modifications of Mi-8 (Mi-17) and Mi-24 helicopters, as well as units of various aviation equipment. The head of state believes that in the future, the plant should also carry out aircraft repair and transition to more modern modifications of equipment. "In the future, we must repair helicopters and airplanes. The equipment that is here now is equipment of the past," he said. In addition, the President was informed about plans to create the international multimodal logistics center "Orsha" on the basis of OJSC "Orsha Aircraft Repair Plant" within the framework of cooperation between the plant and the Hong Kong company SVT Development (Logistics) Limited. The planned area of the center is 1 million square meters. Expected investments in it at the first stage will be about $30 million. The logistics center will include warehouse facilities equipped for loading and unloading operations, cargo storage areas, a business center, a cafe, and a hotel. The share of investment from the Orsha Aircraft Repair Plant is considered to be 25%, and the remaining 75% will be funds from the Hong Kong investor. The implementation of the project will allow for the effective use of air transport infrastructure and territorial proximity to international transport corridors passing through the republic. It is assumed that the implementation of the project will partially relieve Moscow's Domodedovo Airport. The distance from the plant to the Russian border is about 50 km. The close location of the enterprise to the major railway hub of Orsha and the international highways Moscow-Brest and St. Petersburg-Odessa allows for the delivery of aviation equipment requiring repair not only by air, but also by rail and road transport. OJSC "Orsha Aircraft Repair Plant" is subordinate to the Department of Aviation of the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Belarus. The enterprise has a repair organization certificate issued by the Aviation Register of the Interstate Aviation Committee, authorizing it to perform overhaul and modification according to the documentation of the developer of Mi-8 (Mi-17) helicopters of various modifications, a certificate of conformity of the certification system in civil aviation of Russia for performing overhaul of Mi-8 helicopters of various modifications and their components, and a certificate of the international standard in the field of quality management systems ISO9001. The President also visited the settlement of Khim in the Orsha District. Alexander Lukashenko sets the task of developing villages while preserving their identity. The head of state believes that it is necessary to create a production base in villages for people's employment, but at the same time, villages should not be turned into cities. "We need to revive the village so that it is convenient for people to live and work," he said. The settlement of Khim is located on the border of the Vitebsk and Mogilev regions. There are a total of 43 residential houses, including 35 summer cottages. Previously, it was a relatively large village. Today, the population here is 10 people, all of whom are pensioners. The President was presented with a plan for the revival of this settlement as an agro-industrial complex with agricultural production. Thus, by 2025, it is planned to create production and social spheres, and engineering infrastructure here. The interest of local authorities is due to the convenient location of the settlement, and the placement of production sites on these lands fits well into the overall scheme of rural development in the Orsha district. It is planned to build a workshop for bottling mineral and drinking water and a confectionery factory in the settlement. Fresh drinking water constitutes only 3% of the planet's water resources. At the same time, the share of easily accessible fresh water is no more than 2%. Currently, approximately 54% of all available surface water flow has been used. Belarus has great prospects in the development of pure drinking water production. Such explored reserves of drinking and mineral water are also available in the vicinity of the settlement of Khim. It is planned that the capacity of the workshop for its extraction and bottling will be 0.44 million hectoliters per year. The cost of the investment project is estimated at almost Br50 billion. A factory for the production of confectionery products, mainly sponge cake rolls, is also planned to be built here. The annual production volume is expected to be 2.7 thousand tons. This will fully satisfy the demand of Belarusian consumers for this product, replacing imported analogues. The cost of the investment project will be Br40.5 billion. It is expected that the project will fully pay for itself within 5 years. As noted by the Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Alexander Kosinets, the plant will be built by the new year. In addition, residential buildings, a shop, a paramedic and obstetric station, a service center, a cafe, and a kindergarten will be built in the settlement. Alexander Lukashenko approved the projects presented to him, but at the same time emphasized that under no circumstances should this village be turned into a city. "Let's agree that we will not build a city here. Why do we need it here? This village needs to be revived, like Alexandria," said the President. "The village needs to be revived here, period. Bring in production, young people. However, there should be no excesses in construction." At the same time, the head of state believes that there is no need to rush: objects should be built as needed. "Under no circumstances should anything be done artificially," he said. At the same time, the President emphasized his unwavering requirement that none of the facilities should be built on arable land. "I strictly forbid encroaching on plowed land: no farms, no factories - nothing," he noted. It is also planned to build 10 agro-ecotourism estates in the village. According to the President, if there are willing individuals to develop this direction of tourism, it will only benefit everyone. However, this should be at the initiative of a private individual, without affecting budget funds. Near the settlement of Khim, it is also planned to build a broiler poultry farm for the production of duck meat. Negotiations are already underway with foreign investors willing to participate in this project. The payback period for the farm will be 5 years. This type of product is in demand both in Belarus, where the production of duck meat is still small, and in Russia, where this product will be exported. The duck farm will become a production site where residents of the nearby village of Lipki will also work. Thanks to this facility, the settlement will develop. Initially, it was planned to locate the poultry farm in Khim, but the head of state proposed to involve the labor resources of the neighboring village of Lipki as well. The project for the revival of the village of Khim is unique in its own way, as nothing similar has been done in the country before. Therefore, the experience of implementing this idea may prove to be very much in demand. The head of state, summarizing what he saw, said: "We must do this everywhere. People have lived here for centuries, let them live. We need to create a production base. As for the rest: when the time comes, we will develop." Tomorrow, the President will continue his working trip to the regions of the country and will visit the Mogilev region. The focus of the head of state will be on issues of agricultural development, particularly livestock and the introduction of new technologies for storing agricultural products. -0-