Vitebsk region enterprises directed Br3.5 trillion for modernization in 9 months.
Industrial enterprises of the Vitebsk region invested Br3.5 trillion in modernization over 9 months of the current year, the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee's Economy Committee informed a BELTA correspondent.
This year, industrial enterprises of the region, as well as city and district executive committees, have begun implementing plans for the modernization of existing production facilities approved for 2012-2015. The plans include measures for technical re-equipment, modernization of existing and creation of new production facilities, cost reduction, staff optimization, as well as plans to improve management efficiency and employee qualifications.
Projects for technical re-equipment and modernization are being most actively implemented by industrial enterprises in the meat and dairy sector. In particular, a line for bottling sterilized milk in Tetra Brik Aseptic packaging has been introduced at the Glubokoye Dairy Canning Plant. Reconstruction of the dry milk packaging section has been completed at the Polotsk Dairy Plant. Equipment for slaughtering pigs has been installed at the Vitebsk Meat Processing Plant, and commissioning work on the cattle slaughter line is nearing completion. The dairy plant in Postavy is constructing a workshop for the production of hard cheeses, and the Orsha Meat Canning Plant is reconstructing its existing baby food production.
Significant attention has been paid to the development of new product types. For example, OJSC "Visas" has mastered the production of semi-automatic grinding machines, OJSC "Naftan" has mastered the production of Nitron-D fiber, Lepel Electromechanical Plant has mastered the production of cabinets for books and clothes, and SOOO "Lanatex" has mastered the production of women's vests, quilted blankets, and other products. OJSC "Vitebsk Instrument-Making Plant" has expanded the range of manufactured fittings for the footwear, leather goods, and furniture industries.
One of the most important areas of work was also the certification of production facilities. As of November 1, 293 enterprises in the region received certificates of conformity for quality management systems based on ISO 9001 international standards, 22 enterprises received certificates for environmental management systems based on ISO 14000 international standards, and 39 enterprises received certificates for HACCP food quality and safety management systems.
For January-October 2012, enterprises of the region produced industrial products at current prices worth Br84.7 trillion, or 204.2% compared to the same period in 2011. Sales profitability in industry amounted to 9.2% (an increase of 1.1 percentage points compared to last year). Innovative products worth Br12.4 trillion were shipped in 10 months, or 22.4% of the total shipped volume. In general, industrial organizations of the region have mastered over 200 types of innovative products. Important projects for the production of innovative products are being implemented by Vitebsk Fruit and Vegetable Processing Plant, where the reconstruction of the baby food workshop is underway with the organization of vegetable-meat and vegetable-fish canned food production under the state program "Baby Food", as well as by OJSC "Technolit-Polotsk". The latter produces equipment and metal structures for equipping livestock complexes, and is currently establishing serial production of energy-efficient vacuum stations for milking parlors – an import-substituting novelty that has no analogues in the country.
Based on the results of 2012, the growth rate of industrial production volumes by physical volume index in the region is expected to be at the level of 115-117%, the share of shipped innovative products will be 28-30%, and sales profitability will be 10%.
Industrial enterprises of the Vitebsk region will have a significant amount of work to do in 2013, which will see the completion of a number of large investment projects. The planned investment volume for production modernization will be about Br5.8 trillion.