Vitebsk region has exceeded the five-year target for industrial production in small towns

May 27, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. The Vitebsk region has exceeded the targets of the State Comprehensive Program for the Development of Regions, Small and Medium-Sized Towns for 2007-2010 in terms of industrial production, creation of small enterprises and jobs. This was announced today at a meeting of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee by Svyatoslav Zarovsky, First Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee's Economics Committee, as reported by a BELTA correspondent. Taking into account January-March 2010, for small towns as a whole, the growth rate of industrial production over the five-year period was 167.1% against the target of 158% for the same period, 18.9 thousand jobs were created against a plan of 16.4 thousand, and the number of small enterprises is over 1.3 thousand, which exceeds the target by more than half. At the same time, the number of people employed in the economy of small towns as of April 1 of the current year was 125.1 thousand against the target of 125.8 thousand for the end of 2010, and the unemployment rate exceeds the forecast by 0.1%. As Svyatoslav Zarovsky noted, despite the good overall indicators, the situation with the fulfillment of forecast indicators and development programs in specific settlements is ambiguous. For example, if in Lepel the growth rate of industrial production and consumer goods in the first quarter of the current year was 152.8% and 131.4% respectively compared to the first quarter of 2009, then in Obol these indicators were 65% and 72% respectively. Of the 40 settlements included in the comprehensive program, 15 do not meet the indicators for the growth rates of industrial production and consumer goods. Investment projects are not being implemented in almost every second small settlement. The regional executive committee is concerned about the activities of newly created enterprises. Of the 172 enterprises established in small towns in 2009 and the first quarter of 2010, 84 are operating. 88 enterprises are not functioning or are being liquidated, including 13 in the Gluboksky district. Vladimir Novatsky, First Deputy Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, emphasized that the implementation of the state comprehensive program is one of the most important indicators of the work of local authorities. Its goal is the sustainable development of small and medium-sized settlements, the creation of comfortable living conditions for people, and ensuring them with jobs and decent wages. "There are no secondary indicators in the program; if one is not fulfilled, then the entire program is not fulfilled. And there are funds for its implementation, the state has created all the necessary conditions, only initiative and responsibility at the local level are lacking," he said. The Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee intends to conduct monthly monitoring of the progress of the small towns development program. 40 settlements in the region have the status of small towns. They are home to almost 262 thousand people - every fifth resident of the region. Over 60% of them are of working age. -0-