Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Nikolai Sherstnev held a reception of citizens at JSC "Vitebsk Carpets"

The head of the region's familiarization with production and plans for its further development was preceded by a reception of citizens. Initially, there were few people registered; most minor issues had already been resolved by the district and city administration. Only Elena Tabakova, the chairperson of the trade union committee of the joint-stock company, personally approached Nikolai Nikolaevich. She voiced a problem that was significant for everyone. It was about the shortage in both the city of Vitebsk and the region of such high-tech medical diagnostic equipment as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines. She encountered difficulty in getting an examination herself, even with Belgosstrakh insurance. The MRI machine at the regional diagnostic center was out of order, and repairs are not carried out quickly, so she had to wait and receive a paid service after some time.

 

— Is it possible to find a way to provide other medical institutions with such, albeit expensive, but effective equipment to expand opportunities for people? — Elena Anatolyevna asked.

 

— We need to look for it, — Nikolai Sherstnev replied. — The program "People's Health and Demographic Security of the Republic of Belarus" for 2016–2020 provides for the acquisition of another MRI machine for Vitebsk worth up to 1.5 million euros. And we must try, this is an instruction to the healthcare department, to obtain these funds from the republic as early as possible, because the Vitebsk region is disadvantaged compared to other regions in terms of funding in various sectors: housing, road construction, education, and healthcare.

Overall, Nikolai Nikolaevich recommended that all residents of the region pay more attention to a healthy lifestyle in order to resort to medical services less often.

Another wish from Elena Tabakova was also relevant. She believes that the city needs to expand opportunities for children to practice such a popular sport as trampolining. The head of the region immediately informed that a decision on the construction of a Trampoline Palace had already been made after our Olympic victory in Rio de Janeiro. Minsk, of course, tried to take all the credit, but after the intervention of the country's President, all

решилось в пользу Витебска с его хорошей тренерской школой. Уже изготавливается проектная документация, в следующем году начнется строительство. Первый заместитель председателя горисполкома Валентин Цветков добавил, что площадка подобрана на проспекте Победы. В архитектурном плане здание будет великолепным, станет украшением города.

Вторую, не менее важную, цель приезда на предприятие руководитель области очертил как стремление узнать перспективы развития и при их видении сильной управленческой командой помочь реализовать со стороны органов власти — бюджетными, кредитными средствами, гарантиями для их получения, ведь административный ресурс еще никто не отменял.

— Моя стратегия — помогать сильным, — сказал Николай Николаевич. — Деньги нужно направлять туда, где заложены хорошие основы и можно получить еще более значимый результат. В сегодняшних условиях конкуренции выживает только сильнейший, крупный игрок, даже малейшее промедление довольно успешного производителя с каким-то своевременным решением может вышибить с рынка. Так что самоуспокоенности быть не должно.

Генеральный директор акционерного общества депутат областного Совета депутатов Елена Черепнина представила главе области свою молодую команду — грамотных и умеющих добиваться результата заместителей. С помощью цифр она продемонстрировала динамику развития предприятия. За семь месяцев года объемы производства составили 122,8 процента к прошлогоднему периоду, экспорт — 143,2 процента (22,4 миллиона долларов), более 70 процентов продукции поставляется в Россию, растет украинский рынок, осваиваются новые страны. Работа стабильная, хотя отличительной особенностью является сезонность спроса, средняя заработная плата за семь месяцев года составила 731,6 рубля, работой люди дорожат. Наращивание объемов производства ковровых изделий, а с 1987 года они выросли с 12,4 до 20,5 миллиона квадратных метров в год, сейчас происходит без увеличения использования энергоресурсов. Здесь готовятся осуществить инвестиционный проект по экструзии полипропиленовой нити, что позволит иметь свое сырье для прошивных изделий, уменьшит импорт. Много и других планов.

was decided in favor of Vitebsk with its strong coaching school. Project documentation is already being prepared, and construction will begin next year. The first deputy chairman of the city executive committee, Valentin Tsvetkov, added that the site has been selected on Pobedy Avenue. Architecturally, the building will be magnificent and will become a decoration for the city.

The head of the region outlined the second, equally important, goal of his visit to the enterprise as a desire to learn about development prospects and, if they are seen by a strong management team, to help implement them with the support of government bodies — through budget and credit funds, guarantees for their receipt, because administrative resources have not been abolished yet.

“My strategy is to help the strong,” said Nikolai Nikolaevich. “Money should be directed where good foundations are laid and an even more significant result can be achieved. In today’s competitive environment, only the strongest, major players survive; even the slightest delay by a fairly successful manufacturer in making a timely decision can knock them out of the market. So there should be no complacency.”

The general director of the joint-stock company, a deputy of the regional council of deputies, Elena Cherepnina, introduced the head of the region to her young team — competent deputies who know how to achieve results. Using figures, she demonstrated the dynamics of the enterprise’s development. In seven months of the year, production volumes amounted to 122.8 percent compared to the previous year, exports — 143.2 percent ($22.4 million), more than 70 percent of products are supplied to Russia, the Ukrainian market is growing, and new countries are being explored. The work is stable, although a distinctive feature is the seasonality of demand; the average salary for seven months of the year was 731.6 rubles, and people value their jobs. The increase in the production of carpet products, which grew from 12.4 to 20.5 million square meters per year since 1987, is now occurring without an increase in energy resource consumption. Here, they are preparing to implement an investment project for the extrusion of polypropylene thread, which will allow them to have their own raw materials for tufted products and reduce imports. There are many other plans.

After hearing the General Director and visiting the workshops, Nikolai Sherstnev proposed that the management team present proposals to the regional executive committee in the near future for the maximum implementation of the strategy he outlined. What else needs to be done, for example, if there are sufficient funds for modernization and expansion, so that Vitebsk Carpets OJSC remains not just the best in the local "principality" (within the concern), because any empire sooner or later collapses, but in the near future takes a big leap forward, becoming an enterprise of tomorrow: 2-3 times more powerful, more modern and efficient. Elena Cherepnina assured that such a program for further joint work would be prepared, its basis has already been developed and before this.

Vera MURASHKINA. Photos by Oleg KLIMOVICH. "Vitbichi".