A. Lukashenko: Any enterprise in Belarus can be privatized, it's only a matter of price
30/03/20120 views
On March 30, Minsk / Tatyana Polozhay - BELTA /. Any enterprise in Belarus can be privatised, the only question is the price. This was stated by the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko at a meeting on privatisation issues, according to a BELTA correspondent.
Alexander Lukashenko stressed that there will be no sweeping privatisation in the country. "If it is necessary for the state, it will be of a targeted nature," he noted.
"Any enterprise can be privatised. Any, without exception," said the head of state. "But why be disingenuous? We used to consider such an enterprise as Beltransgaz to be strategic. It was forbidden for privatisation. Was it privatised? It was privatised. So why should we again beat about the bush, only to later remove it from the list of those forbidden for privatisation by law and so on. We need to decide once and for all: there is no sweeping privatisation, it is of a targeted nature, if it is necessary for the state, and all enterprises in Belarus can be privatised, the only question is the price."
The President stressed that the issue of privatisation in Belarus is not simply regulated, but has been hard-won by the Belarusian people. "This issue is at the centre of all political events, because privatisation is not a simple matter, if we speak in language understandable to the population, it is about the buying and selling of state property, which has been created by many generations of our people," said the head of state.
"We have always said that we are not against privatisation. But there has been no sweeping privatisation in the country before, and there will be none now. This issue is not up for discussion as long as I am President. If I am not President, you will see how you will sell enterprises, property, land, perhaps the country as a whole. Although if I am alive, I will always oppose this," stated Alexander Lukashenko.
The President considers the process of selling and buying property in the state to be normal. In the opinion of the head of state, the existing privatisation procedure in the country is not bad. "Why is it not suitable for you? It is a normal procedure, we have two levels of ownership: communal, the responsibility of local authorities, and republican," said the President, addressing those present. "Why divide enterprises here into very necessary and unnecessary ones. You know, this is even incorrect in relation to the population," the President noted. "All enterprises are important for the country, where our people work. Why divide them into strategic and non-strategic ones?".
Alexander Lukashenko acknowledged that the current privatization process is difficult and overly bureaucratic. "But we are not selling our own property, this was not created by us. Therefore, we must bargain. Not just come, see, conquer, and take the enterprise," he said.
The President expressed concern about the information he received from governors regarding the outcomes of privatization. "Today, the President must take an axe and cut down these processes. When our enterprises seemed to be working well after privatization, and today they have become objects of manipulation. Who will be held accountable for this later?" the Head of State noted.
Alexander Lukashenko highlighted another issue of interest to him: what is the result of listing Belarusian enterprises' shares on the stock exchange and their free trade. "Who bought them, what large sums were paid, and to what extent has the buyer improved operations, what has he brought to our people and the state?" the President remarked.
Summing up, Alexander Lukashenko emphasized: "The great Deng Xiaoping said: it doesn't matter what color the cat is, as long as it catches mice. Therefore, it doesn't matter what kind of enterprise it will be: state-owned, private, joint-stock, state-private – it doesn't matter, the main thing is that they produce worthy products, pay decent wages to the people working there, and do not forget about paying taxes." -0-
BELTA