At the meeting with the chairman of the regional executive committee: While implementing economic plans, do not forget about people

The regions will face the harshest demand for economic performance in 2016. We must be prepared for this and adjust the work of all sectors of the region's national economy accordingly.

This task was set by the Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, Nikolai Sherstnev, for his deputies, chairmen of the committees for economy, agriculture and food of the Regional Executive Committee, and the management of the Vitebsk concern "Meat and Dairy Products," upon his return from a meeting with the Head of State to review the draft forecast for the socio-economic development of Belarus for the coming year.

In short, the essence of the upcoming innovations is that executive bodies at the local level will be delegated real powers for the most effective use of the existing material base. Consequently, the faster we accumulate our own capabilities in the region, the sooner we will feel an improvement in the economy.

Vitebsk region has a significant advantage: we were the first in the country to begin creating agro-industrial holdings, and we have effectively received approval at the highest level.

The Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee particularly emphasized that the president demanded that all economic entities be provided with indicators that will determine the effectiveness of their activities. At the same time, the GRP indicator, which characterizes the volume of gross regional product produced, remains relevant.

The demand for their achievement at the regional level is quarterly, reports to the country's leadership are semi-annual, and the demand takes into account the requirements of Decree No. 5 "On Strengthening Requirements for Managers and Employees of Organizations." That is, if you fail, you will be dismissed from your position without the right to hold leadership positions in the future.

For the Vitebsk region, a similar approach to indicators is not new; it was practiced when defending the socio-economic development forecast projects for the regions in 2016. Nikolai Sherstnev once again emphasized the need to communicate specific indicators to agricultural enterprises – regarding calf survival and cattle population size, making the wages of everyone, from workers to managers, dependent on their fulfillment.

The Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee reminded those present that among the economic priorities for the next year, the Head of State identified export growth, strengthening the positions of domestic producers in the domestic market, the introduction of new technologies, and reducing production costs.

To ensure our goods are in demand in foreign markets, Nikolai Sherstnev believes the region must achieve a 20-25% reduction in production costs. Work on this issue should be more in-depth. One way to achieve this is through the use of domestic raw materials by food and light industry enterprises, such as KUP "Vitebsk Confectionery Combine "Vitba", OJSC "Znamya Industrializatsii", and others.

However, reducing production costs by cutting employees is absolutely unacceptable. Optimization is necessary, but new jobs must be created in parallel. In this regard, the Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, Oleg Matskevich, has been instructed to thoroughly analyze all investment projects planned for implementation in the region and to intensify efforts to complete them, providing the necessary assistance in resolving existing issues.

Incidentally, in connection with the expected decision on the future of Gorodok District Agropromsnab, the head of the region stressed that a change of ownership will not lead to the dismissal of ordinary employees of the enterprise.

Wages, despite all existing problems, must be formed based on the production and sale of products and paid to people monthly, demanded Nikolai Sherstnev. The practice where managers receive salaries, but their payment to the workforce is delayed, must be eliminated.

Optimizing expenses is another pressing issue that needs to be addressed urgently in all areas. One of them is housing and communal services, which in the public consciousness is strongly associated with a "black hole" into which considerable money from the budget and citizens' personal wallets disappears.

A significant reduction in costs in the housing and communal services sector during the autumn-winter period is achieved by switching to local types of fuel. As reported by Yuri Dyadelo, Head of the Department of Housing and Communal Services of the Regional Executive Committee, up to 10 degrees below zero, 68% of boiler houses in the region operate on firewood, wood chips, and pellets – in almost all district centers, with the exception of individual facilities.

The Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee instructed to work out the issue of converting boiler houses in agro-towns and greenhouse complexes to local types of fuel, as well as the transition of sports halls and stadiums to self-sufficiency, the restoration of household service complexes, and to determine the future prospects of chronically insolvent and loss-making enterprises.

In conclusion of the discussion, Nikolai Sherstnev once again reminded that all economic plans and forecasts must be implemented, primarily based on the interests of the people: they need to be given work, held accountable for the quality of its execution, and paid for it.

Lyudmila Myshlenok,
Chief Specialist of the Main Department of
Ideological Work, Culture
and Youth Affairs of the Regional Executive Committee.