S. Sidorsky will visit the Orsha Flax Mill today

September 23, Minsk /BELTA/. Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky will pay a working visit to the Orsha Flax Combine state enterprise on September 23, BELTA was informed by the Council of Ministers' Office. The head of the Belarusian government will familiarize himself with the progress of the enterprise's technical re-equipment. It is also planned that the Prime Minister will hold a meeting on the measures taken to fulfill the instructions of the head of state and the government on improving the efficiency of the Orsha Flax Combine state enterprise, and on problematic issues in the enterprise's operations. The meeting will discuss the measures taken by the Bellegprom concern to fulfill the said instructions, as well as the implementation of the Orsha Flax Combine development business plan and the development of new product types. In 2006, in order to improve the flax industry, the government approved the Comprehensive Plan for the Development of the Flax Industry for 2006-2010. The document provides for the technical re-equipment and modernization of the Orsha Flax Combine's production to increase production volumes and enhance the competitiveness of manufactured products, and to increase export supplies. For these purposes, in 2007-2008, it received state support in the amount of Br53 billion. In 2008, large-scale work began at the enterprise to install 258 units of new equipment and modernize 123 units of existing equipment. To date, equipment worth over Br22 billion has been commissioned. The installation of spinning equipment complex, as well as looms, roving and fabric shrinking machines, and other modern equipment worth over Br30 billion will be completed and commissioned by the end of the year. This equipment will allow for the production of high-quality products, expand their range while simultaneously reducing costs. However, the country's flax industry currently remains unprofitable. The Orsha Flax Combine is reducing flax fiber processing volumes, the enterprise's operational efficiency is declining, and three-month warehouse stocks have accumulated. The Orsha Flax Combine is the largest export-oriented enterprise in the republic's textile industry. It produces about 2,000 types of fabrics. The combine's production capacity is 50 million square meters of flax fabric per year. More than 5,000 people work at the enterprise. -0-