Heads at all levels should meet with the public as often as possible - Natalia Kochanova
"Heads of local authorities, enterprises, and organizations should meet with people as often as possible," believes Natalya Kochanova. The formats of such meetings can be very diverse – informational meetings in work collectives, reports to the public.
"Chairpersons and deputy chairpersons of district and city executive committees should meet with residents of a particular settlement to talk about how the city, district, or village is living, what is currently relevant, and what are the development prospects for this territory," noted the Head of the President's Administration. She also emphasized that the heads of enterprises and organizations bear full responsibility for what happens in the work collective. "How wages are paid, what the enterprise's plans are, what new products will be produced, etc. All these issues are important for the collective and for each individual person," said Natalya Kochanova.
She stated that the more informed a person is about what is happening, the fewer questions they will have. In this regard, the Head of the President's Administration noted the important role of regional and local media. "Our citizens love their local newspapers and enjoy watching local television. Therefore, the media plays a serious role in informing the public about the state of affairs, existing problems, and possible ways to solve them," emphasized Natalya Kochanova.
On-site receptions in the regions have become part of the work practice of the President's Administration. They are held in large cities and small urban settlements. The goal is to see what problems exist and what concerns the public. In Shumilino, issues related to territory paving, sewage disposal, and sidewalk improvement were raised.
"There were practically no appeals regarding employment issues. This indicates that local authorities are working
and are engaged in these issues," she stated. "The issue of trade services was raised. Attention should be paid to the prices in stores and the range of products offered. I believe that local authorities are capable of resolving these issues, and they will be resolved."Not only residents of the Shumilino district came to the reception of the Head of the Presidential Administration. Among those who applied were residents of Vitebsk, Polotsk, Minsk, Mogilev, and Mozyr. The topics were diverse. "All the issues that were raised can be resolved by local authorities. There are several appeals concerning the work of law enforcement agencies. They will be carefully considered," said Natalya Kochanova.
She added that at almost every reception of citizens, problems related to drug trafficking are raised. "We take the issues of combating drug use and distribution very seriously. There are results. According to statistics, such crimes are decreasing in each region," emphasized the Head of the Presidential Administration. "Prevention and preemption are important here. The education system and law enforcement agencies should also actively work in this direction."
Issues concerning the activities of veteran organizations were also raised. "I was pleased with the work of the veteran organization of the Shumilino district. It is numerous, and people are actively engaged. Another appeal came from Polotsk - a woman would like to join a veteran organization. This indicates that such organizations are working quite successfully and effectively in our country. Here, people find an application for their strengths and talents," said Natalya Kochanova.
The appeals also concerned the arrangement of outdoor sports grounds, storm sewers, the operation of bathhouses, and the quality of dental care. A resident of the village of Nikolaevo, Shumilino district, asked for assistance in obtaining a loan to purchase attachments for a tractor. The essence of the problem is as follows: a married couple is seriously engaged in agricultural production. They keep 20 cows on their farmstead. To service such a farm, it is necessary to cultivate the land and growfeed. Mechanization is essential here. A baler would be a great help in the work. Villagers do not have their own funds to purchase equipment, they need a loan. But the bank could not allocate money, as the baler is not included in the list of equipment that can be purchased with the credit funds of Belagroprombank allocated for the development of personal subsidiary plots. Natalya Kochanova noted that people who work the land should be supported in every way, and instructed the bank to deal with the problem - to find an opportunity to help in the purchase of the necessary equipment.
Alena Tikhonova. Photo by Alexander Khitrov. BELTA.