The President held a meeting on the progress of implementing instructions for the development of the Orsha district
The President recalled that in his Address to the Belarusian people and the National Assembly in 2017, he instructed the government, jointly with the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, to ensure the comprehensive development of the Orsha region, so that its growth rate would be at least higher than the regional average.
Alexander Lukashenko: It is unacceptable for work at the local level to degenerate into formalism and red tape.
The head of state has repeatedly noted that the implementation of instructions for the development of the region is an indicator of the effectiveness of the government and local authorities. It was required to establish systematic work that would become an example for other medium-sized cities in the country.
– This is not just about Orsha. As I have already said, this is about the uniform distribution of productive forces throughout the country. We cannot allow a country of ten million people to be half located in Minsk and its surroundings. We have many examples before our eyes: probably, all of you have been to Moscow, driven through the Moscow region and seen the consequences of such a distribution of population and productive forces. This cannot be allowed, – the President called attention to.
While limiting construction in Minsk and regional centers, it is necessary to develop district centers, urban-type settlements, and medium-sized cities, Alexander Lukashenko is convinced.
– Given that in agriculture we have found a path to follow – the creation of agro-towns, – added the head of state. – We have eleven such medium-sized cities, and quite a lot of people live there – 15% of the population. The government, using Orsha as an example, was supposed to demonstrate systematic work with such regions. Including identifying effective solutions for advanced development and subsequently applying them to the entire country. This has not been done.
If any of the set goals are achieved, it is only in manual mode, the President noted. And systemic growth points that will allow regions to develop without external interference are either not defined or are ineffective.
– Moreover, the key tasks for the development of problematic organizations in the district have not been resolved. And almost all enterprises that exist here can be considered problematic. They need a serious approach in terms of modernization and bringing them into proper condition. Based on yesterday, we can conclude that all government members who were here have learned to explain, but not to execute. Therefore, the topic of today's conversation is results, – said Alexander Lukashenko.
According to him, the primary benchmark should be the wage level. Today in the Orsha district it is Br770, and on average in the Vitebsk region – Br820.
– And in general, Nikolai Nikolaevich (Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Nikolai Sherstnev. – Ed. BELTA), the Vitebsk region is lagging behind in terms of the population's welfare. And at some enterprises, wages are also paid with delays. You cannot pay people the meager wages that you accrue. And how can people live in such a case? Naturally, you are losing population, people are leaving. Every fourth Belarusian who has gone abroad to earn money is from your Vitebsk region, – stated the head of state.
At the same time, all proposals submitted to the President for consideration regarding the allocation of funding and the resolution of organizational issues were supported immediately. Alexander Lukashenko inquired about the real situation at basic industrial and agricultural enterprises and what prevents the government and the local vertical of power from unconditionally fulfilling the set tasks.
– There were different points of view, but we made agreed decisions. No one objected a year and a half or two years ago. Therefore, I demand even more an answer to the question why the agreed decisions, formalized by the head of state, were not executed? We need objective assessments and concrete proposals from the meeting participants on issues that require solutions, – the Belarusian leader noted. – Why were the President's instructions failed and not fulfilled? I am not posing any other questions to you. Do not try to paint me a rosy picture until 2025 and 2035.