Lukashenko reported on Architecture and Construction Ministry projects, enabling to reduce imports

President Aleksandr Lukashenko was informed about the projects that will reduce the import component in the construction sector, Belarus’ Architecture and Construction Minister Ruslan Parkhamovich told reporters, commenting on the results of a meeting with the Head of State discussing the state and development of the country’s mineral resource base and the expansion of geological exploration, BelTA reports

“Unfortunately, at present we cannot work without import, though its share is relatively small, standing at 15 percent for raw materials. That’s why the main task for the near future is to settle the issue of import substitution,” the Minister said.

He noted that currently the main minerals used for the production of building products are abundant in Belarus. This refers, e.g., to sand and building stone. Some deposits are capable of meeting the needs for more than two hundred years in advance.”

“But today we’ll pay special attention to what we have to buy for foreign currency,” said Ruslan Parkhamovich.

He reported during the meeting on a range of investment projects proposed for implementation. The first is the creation of artificial gypsum stone based on chemical production waste while the second direction deals with the production of soda ash.

“We have our own resources for this: waste from potash production, lime, and expansion gas. We are more than 70 percent supplied with the raw materials necessary for the production of these products, which are primarily used in the glass industry. Soda ash currently accounts for around 40 percent of all import supplies of the ministry. Settling this issue is the most pressing for us,” said the Head of the Architecture and Construction Ministry.