Orsha – Baran – Bolbasovo: a triangle of development
The Orsha-Baran-Bolbasovo triangle is a basic model for the renewal of all problematic regions of Belarus. It serves as the foundation for new approaches and truly effective preferences. These can then be offered to other cities – once they prove their effectiveness here, in these lands. What has changed over the year in the Orsha region and how are the problematic industrial enterprises functioning? Are new productions emerging and who is ready to invest in the district center today? This is the subject of the latest special project by the News Agency, which aired yesterday evening on the Belarus 1 channel.
It is never easy to be the first in everything. And for the foundation to be solid, one has to correct mistakes and completely revise plans. First Deputy Chairman of the Orsha District Executive Committee, Sergey Pats, does not hide:
— Of course, we would like a little more: more business activity, more investors coming to Orsha. But many are still observing.
The Orsha region is under special control of the President, the Government, and the entire local administration. Work on Orsha began back in 2017. The first instructions were given then, with the plan to be the start of a reset. But a year later, in August 2018, it became clear that the plan had not worked. There were both objective and subjective reasons for this. Beautiful figures on growth and development were not supported by real business plans, so they remained on paper. Following a working trip last year, the President instructed to establish order in production and technology, as well as to develop a development plan for the Orsha district. A year later, local authorities and controllers assure that much has been achieved.
— We are already fulfilling the main indicators set for the development of the Orsha district, — says Sergey Pats. — Over 400 new jobs have been created, and our growth rate of own revenues is already 104% compared to last year. Based on the results of the first half of the year, industrial output has grown by 7.8%.
It is never easy to be the first in everything. And for the foundation to be solid, one has to correct mistakes and completely revise plans. First Deputy Chairman of the Orsha District Executive Committee, Sergey Pats, does not hide:
— Of course, we would like a little more: more business activity, more investors coming to Orsha. But many are still observing.
The Orsha region is under special control of the President, the Government, and the entire local administration. Work on Orsha began back in 2017. The first instructions were given then, with the plan to be the start of a reset. But a year later, in August 2018, it became clear that the plan had not worked. There were both objective and subjective reasons for this. Beautiful figures on growth and development were not supported by real business plans, so they remained on paper. Following a working trip last year, the President instructed to establish order in production and technology, as well as to develop a development plan for the Orsha district. A year later, local authorities and controllers assure that much has been achieved.
— We are already fulfilling the main indicators set for the development of the Orsha district, — says Sergey Pats. — Over 400 new jobs have been created, and our growth rate of own revenues is already 104% compared to last year. Based on the results of the first half of the year, industrial output has grown by 7.8%.
However, there is no reason to relax. Some have been given a plan and funds from the treasury, but there are no results, says **Yulia Avkhukova, Deputy Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Control Committee**:
— For example, one million rubles were allocated for the reconstruction of the stadium in Barani, which became known immediately after the decree was issued. But to this day — for 7 months! — no design documentation has been developed. That is, only in the fourth quarter will they be able to actually start construction work — during an unfavorable period for their implementation.
But the main thing in Barani is "Tekhnika svyazi," a defense industry enterprise. In Soviet times, radio equipment was sent from here for thousands of kilometers. Today, the enterprise specializes in radio communication and telecommunication systems, modules for radio stations, and sews special clothing. More than 11 thousand people live in the city, and for many, it is the source of family income. In January, the salary did not reach 800 rubles, and in June, it was already 808. The pace is small, but new equipment inspires hope. For the first half of the year, the industrial production growth rate is about 15%. **Lyubov Vasilkova, head of the assembly shop at OAO "Tekhnika svyazi,"** confirms:
— Our lives have changed over the year. In addition to the new surface-mount line, we have mastered the production of optical cables for the needs of the Ministry of Defense.
— This is your face, if you brought something here to show and showed it... Well, you didn't plan for me to enter your "toilet." You turned this room into a toilet one floor away, where no one ever cleaned! How could you think of that... For two years, the same thing...I don't speak. I arrived — miracles!
The premises on the fourth floor caused a great public outcry at the time. Today, the changes are obvious. The old fire station has also been given new life: not only has it been renovated, but a safety center has also been opened.
And here is the Orsha Tool Plant. Old-timers still remember when 3.5 thousand people worked here. Now — ten times fewer. But even with such forces, market orders can be handled, the main thing is to see where to move. Alexander Lukashenko spoke about this enterprise:
— I wouldn't cling to it if we didn't need this product. How can we do without tools if our country is mainly built on processing! Every collective farm has a workshop where tools are needed, at least cutters, drills, and others. This is the bread for our country! Therefore, the tool plant must be restored at the highest level so that Gomselmash, MTZ, MAZ, and all other enterprises, even those in oil refining and agriculture, get good tools!
Over the year, the roof, facades, and production facilities have been repaired. Plant worker Irina Martinovich is very pleased:
— Snow used to fall from the roof. Now they have made windows, it has become light, clean, and beautiful. And the equipment is also being replaced.
Chief Engineer of the Orsha Tool Plant Leonid Moyzhik explains:
— One of the important areas is the development of the production of axial cutting tools. Negotiations are underway with a potential partner, and a section for the production of hydraulic lifts is planned next.
In the first days of January, the President signed a decree on the development of the Orsha region. Such support for regional development was adopted for the first time. And business took off. Having leased old premises, they established the production of thermal couplings for heating networks in Orsha. The quality is European. The enterprise sells up to 95% of its products to Europe, says its Chief Engineer Nikolay Kostyanko:
— Danish investors came to Belarus, looked at our conditions, and assessed the availability of sales markets — Russia, Kazakhstan.And moved their production to us.
50 people work here – good salaries and full employment. Orsha today needs precisely such quickly repaying projects. Therefore, preferences for investors were adopted. As a result, 15 new enterprises were opened in the district within 3 months, and in half a year there were already 43. At the same time, 18 productions moved their business here from other territories. The effectiveness is calculated by **Minister of Economy Dmitry Krutoy**:
— Revenues decreased by 80 thousand rubles compared to our traditional tax system. But in absolute terms of revenue, we increased by 540 thousand. That is, the effect is obvious: we increased budget revenues in the district by 7 times due to the segment that uses new tax rates.
And today Orsha is also a city that is actively being built. Housing for every taste and budget, from 1,000 to 1,200 rubles per "square meter". The chief engineer of Orsha construction trust No. 18, Dmitry Tereshkov, recalls that there were problems with both volumes and deadlines before:
— But this year we have already reached 136% in volume growth, and most importantly, we have reached break-even operation, and received 146 thousand rubles in net profit. We optimized the number of employees, mainly managerial staff, and achieved a significant effect.
— We will need logisticians, specialists in foreign economic activity. And we would like them to be natives of Orsha. We intend to build our personnel policy on attracting local residents, local youth.
Good logistics are attractive for opening new productions. Here, they decided to first create modern infrastructure and then offer a full package of services for investors.c. thereby increasing authority in the market — and replenishing the park of residents of "Bremno-Orsha".
The development program for the Orsha district is planned until 2023. And it is clear that this is not a one-day job. The Orsha — Barani — Bolbasovo triangle is considered through the prism of efficiency: how the preferences worked, whether business believed in them, whether new ideas could move heavy industry. In essence, the rules of the game for all problematic territories of the country are being written here — so that it is easier and faster to win.
— For example, one million rubles were allocated for the reconstruction of the stadium in Barani, which became known immediately after the decree was issued. But to this day — for 7 months! — no design documentation has been developed. That is, only in the fourth quarter will they be able to actually start construction work — during an unfavorable period for their implementation.
But the main thing in Barani is "Tekhnika svyazi," a defense industry enterprise. In Soviet times, radio equipment was sent from here for thousands of kilometers. Today, the enterprise specializes in radio communication and telecommunication systems, modules for radio stations, and sews special clothing. More than 11 thousand people live in the city, and for many, it is the source of family income. In January, the salary did not reach 800 rubles, and in June, it was already 808. The pace is small, but new equipment inspires hope. For the first half of the year, the industrial production growth rate is about 15%. **Lyubov Vasilkova, head of the assembly shop at OAO "Tekhnika svyazi,"** confirms:
— Our lives have changed over the year. In addition to the new surface-mount line, we have mastered the production of optical cables for the needs of the Ministry of Defense.
The development of Orsha is proceeding strictly according to plan. The goal is to achieve development indicators above the regional ones by 2021, meaning above the Vitebsk region as a whole, and then above the republican ones.Along with modernization, elementary order has also been established here. After all, many still remember how the President unexpectedly visited the technological floor and abandoned offices a year ago. The Head of State's reaction was appropriate:
— This is your face, if you brought something here to show and showed it... Well, you didn't plan for me to enter your "toilet." You turned this room into a toilet one floor away, where no one ever cleaned! How could you think of that... For two years, the same thing...I don't speak. I arrived — miracles!
The premises on the fourth floor caused a great public outcry at the time. Today, the changes are obvious. The old fire station has also been given new life: not only has it been renovated, but a safety center has also been opened.
And here is the Orsha Tool Plant. Old-timers still remember when 3.5 thousand people worked here. Now — ten times fewer. But even with such forces, market orders can be handled, the main thing is to see where to move. Alexander Lukashenko spoke about this enterprise:
— I wouldn't cling to it if we didn't need this product. How can we do without tools if our country is mainly built on processing! Every collective farm has a workshop where tools are needed, at least cutters, drills, and others. This is the bread for our country! Therefore, the tool plant must be restored at the highest level so that Gomselmash, MTZ, MAZ, and all other enterprises, even those in oil refining and agriculture, get good tools!
Over the year, the roof, facades, and production facilities have been repaired. Plant worker Irina Martinovich is very pleased:
— Snow used to fall from the roof. Now they have made windows, it has become light, clean, and beautiful. And the equipment is also being replaced.
Chief Engineer of the Orsha Tool Plant Leonid Moyzhik explains:
— One of the important areas is the development of the production of axial cutting tools. Negotiations are underway with a potential partner, and a section for the production of hydraulic lifts is planned next.
In the first days of January, the President signed a decree on the development of the Orsha region. Such support for regional development was adopted for the first time. And business took off. Having leased old premises, they established the production of thermal couplings for heating networks in Orsha. The quality is European. The enterprise sells up to 95% of its products to Europe, says its Chief Engineer Nikolay Kostyanko:
— Danish investors came to Belarus, looked at our conditions, and assessed the availability of sales markets — Russia, Kazakhstan.And moved their production to us.
50 people work here – good salaries and full employment. Orsha today needs precisely such quickly repaying projects. Therefore, preferences for investors were adopted. As a result, 15 new enterprises were opened in the district within 3 months, and in half a year there were already 43. At the same time, 18 productions moved their business here from other territories. The effectiveness is calculated by **Minister of Economy Dmitry Krutoy**:
— Revenues decreased by 80 thousand rubles compared to our traditional tax system. But in absolute terms of revenue, we increased by 540 thousand. That is, the effect is obvious: we increased budget revenues in the district by 7 times due to the segment that uses new tax rates.
And today Orsha is also a city that is actively being built. Housing for every taste and budget, from 1,000 to 1,200 rubles per "square meter". The chief engineer of Orsha construction trust No. 18, Dmitry Tereshkov, recalls that there were problems with both volumes and deadlines before:
— But this year we have already reached 136% in volume growth, and most importantly, we have reached break-even operation, and received 146 thousand rubles in net profit. We optimized the number of employees, mainly managerial staff, and achieved a significant effect.
Tax experiment in Orsha: budget revenues increased 7 times.The field near Bolbasovo is also growing with new developments: the **multimodal logistics center "Bremno-Orsha"** is being built here. **Its head Vladimir Kostenovich** sees great prospects in this process:
— We will need logisticians, specialists in foreign economic activity. And we would like them to be natives of Orsha. We intend to build our personnel policy on attracting local residents, local youth.
Good logistics are attractive for opening new productions. Here, they decided to first create modern infrastructure and then offer a full package of services for investors.c. thereby increasing authority in the market — and replenishing the park of residents of "Bremno-Orsha".
The development program for the Orsha district is planned until 2023. And it is clear that this is not a one-day job. The Orsha — Barani — Bolbasovo triangle is considered through the prism of efficiency: how the preferences worked, whether business believed in them, whether new ideas could move heavy industry. In essence, the rules of the game for all problematic territories of the country are being written here — so that it is easier and faster to win.