Local Councils need to show more initiative in resolving economic issues - B. Batura

October 20, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. District Councils of Deputies should show more initiative and responsibility in implementing state programs, including the program for the development of small towns. This point of view was expressed today by the Chairman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, Boris Batura, at the 16th session of the Vitebsk Regional Council of Deputies.

"Local authorities need to be bolder in implementing projects. You should take risks too, not just the government," Boris Batura added emotionally. In his opinion, settlement and city councils do not show sufficient initiative in solving economic issues, and do little to create effective production facilities in the regions and attract investors. "There is one problem everywhere: regions think that the oblast and the republic will do it for them. If an enterprise is not working well, let's transfer it to republican ownership, instead of looking for ways to get it out of crisis locally, and fully using the system of state preferences," said the speaker of the upper house of the Belarusian parliament.

The Chairman of the Council of the Republic criticized the work of local authorities in implementing the program for the development of small towns in the Vitebsk region. The task of this program is not limited to specific issues of organizing new jobs and production facilities. The main thing is to create normal living conditions for the population in these cities and towns, he emphasized, and for this, practical, real approaches are needed locally in its implementation.

In the Vitebsk region, 40 settlements are included in the state comprehensive program for the development of regions, small and medium-sized urban settlements. Since the beginning of its implementation (since 2007), 15.3 thousand jobs have been created in small towns, and the unemployment rate has been reduced from 2.5% to 1.1% (as of October 1, 2009). Br1.1 trillion has been invested in the economy of these settlements, over 200 investment projects have been implemented, and about 90 production facilities have been created. At the same time, based on the results of the first half of 2009, the forecast indicators of the state program were not met in 12 small settlements, and an increase in unemployment was noted in 20 settlements. Of the 10 most important projects included in the state investment program, four have been actually completed.-0-