By Yevgenia Morozova
The First Deputy Prime Minister, Vladimir Semashko, believes that investments, innovations and the achievement of a positive balance in foreign trade are vital tasks. To meet them, many enterprises are to undergo modernisation. A new line of MAZ vehicles is to appear, in addition to Gomselmash’s highly efficient combines and modern white goods. Oil processing depth is to reach 93 percent while hundreds of new facilities are to be built, including a bleached pulp factory and those processing oil shale and brown coal. Some deposits need further development and the Government is hopeful that work will progress quickly with the aid of investment.
According to Mr. Semashko, our domestic oil processing plants are receiving less volume from Russia than planned; intense talks on the issue continue. With this in mind, alternative supplies are being sought. In 2016, the first block of the Belarusian nuclear power station will become operational.
From now on, housing maintenance and utilities are to be supervised by the Construction and Architecture Ministry (with the Ministry of Housing and Communal Services becoming its department). Deputy Prime Minister Anatoly Kalinin notes that the Government has abolished the idea of residents of ‘more comfortable’ accommodation paying for communal services in full. “I propose to implement a two-rate tariff to distinguish ordinary service (fixed price) from deluxe service (requiring an additional payment),” he explains.
Other ministries are also to be reformed, losing their involvement in economic activity. Powers are to focus on the development of normative documents, price policy and branch strategy.
After debate, the new state programme will be finalised and sent to Parliament for approval.
