Some provisions of the decree on the development of the Orsha district may be extended to other major cities
The head of the economic department emphasized that only preliminary results can be summarized so far. "The preferences from Decree No. 508, which allowed local authorities to manage unused property, worked best. Out of over 600 facilities, the majority have been put into economic circulation. This indicates that the provision allows us to optimize business in this territory and involve vacant buildings. This is one of the measures we want to extend to cities with a population of over 80,000 people. The second measure is an investment deduction. It will be applied within the following limits: 50% for equipment and 30% for buildings (structures). It will also be of interest to businesses," explained Alexander Chervyakov.
Another relevant issue is extending the validity period of the decree's provisions to seven years. The Ministry of Economy believes that five years is too short a period for the implementation of a serious investment project. It sometimes takes up to two to three years just to prepare design and estimate documentation. As a result, two to three years remain to build production, and there is no time for a full launch. "Speaking of figures, there are results from the implementation of the Orsha District development program. In 2018, the district's share in the region's industrial production was 4.6%, today it is 5.7%. In agriculture: in 2018, the figure was 8%, now it is 9%. However, there are reserves where enterprises need to work. First of all, this is the economic efficiency of projects, business processes, and technologies," added Minister of Economy Alexander Chervyakov.
Today, Orsha is hosting a field meeting of the Presidium of the Council of Ministers on the implementation of the Orsha District development program until 2023. Participants will discuss problematic issues and possible adjustments to the program, without exceeding the initial timeframes and financial volumes.