Lukashenko spoke about foreign investors who left Belarus
The President of Belarus instructed how to deal with enterprises left in Belarus by foreign investors. Aleksandr Lukashenko announced the relevant instructions today when making personnel decisions.
“Enterprises that were founded by foreign investors or privatised, and foreign investors received these enterprises, and today (mostly from unfriendly countries and others) have left – wave to them and cross yourself that they left you property,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. “Everything is here. Igor Petrovich [Head of the Belarus President Administration Igor Sergeyenko], I told you this using the example of McDonald’s. It worked and continues to work, and people come, and the production is normal. But this is already our business. If they didn’t want to work, let it be so. Our people are not dumber than, as I said, to cut this bun and put lettuce leaves or a piece of sausage into it. Exactly the same here. They left everything here. They didn’t take anything with them. But if they did, I would ‘take off’ the heads of the responsible people. Nobody has to take anything. You must not allow this.”
The conversation on this topic came up when agreeing on the candidacy of Dmitry Shabetnik for the post of Chairman of the Svetlogorsk Regional Executive Committee. The Head of State asked the new leader how much he knows the city and the district, asking about the work of the main enterprises. Dmitry Shabetnik mentioned the Plant of Welding Electrodes, which has suspended its work for a while because of the departure of Ukrainian business representatives. Aleksandr Lukashenko was surprised by such state of affairs, “Don’t we need electrodes?.. We have agreed. Some Ukrainian, Polish or Finnish owners are leaving but people remain, technologies remain, and productions continue to exist...”
“The plant is ready to work. Now the question of change of the owner is being settled. I think that next year it will start working if the plans to change the owner are realised,” Dmitry Shabetnik specified.
“Igor Petrovich, this is a bright example of brazen red tape and bureaucracy on your part and on the part of Golovchenko [Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko],” Aleksandr Lukashenko reacted sharply. “What change of ownership there may be? I gave you instructions: if owners left then goodbye to them. Since this time, the company has been nationalised. What are we still waiting for, what kind of change of ownership, and how will we resolve the issue in the Government for half a year or for a year?!”
Addressing Dmitry Shabetnik, the President underlines, “Consider that this enterprise is yours and immediately implement this instruction upon your arrival. Do not wait for any documents. Submit to the Government, and they will give you an answer. I think after today’s meeting they will change the owner for you before the new year.”
In this regard, Aleksandr Lukashenko gives an example with IKEA, “Ah, IKEA… Well, goodbye! We will make these stools, chairs, parts for the bed… They basically made parts for the kitchen, for furniture. What can’t we do? They didn’t take anything, and the people stayed. The owner has left. Well, go! There is a good demand on the market in Russia, Belarus and so on; we can produce these parts and supply them as we did.”
