"There should be no excesses" - Lukashenko considers it necessary to return to the topic of rationing in construction

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko believes it is necessary to revisit the topic of construction standards to avoid excessive requirements. Corresponding instructions were given previously, and their implementation needs to be monitored, the head of state said during a visit to OJSC "Belgips", as reported by a BELTA correspondent.

The President recalled that he had instructed to review the regulatory framework in construction 10-12 years ago, aiming to eliminate excessive and redundant standardisation and transition to European standards. "Instead of lightweight structures, we have beams and reinforced concrete. We were engaged in empty pursuits, spending huge amounts of money," the Belarusian leader noted.

"We need to liberalise where necessary"

Incidentally, more economical approaches were used previously, for example, during the construction of the "Minsk-Arena" sports complex.

Alexander Lukashenko believes that this issue should be seriously revisited after the elections. "We need to liberalise where necessary," the President emphasised.

The head of state stressed that people's safety must not be compromised in this process. "We need to build safely. But there should be no excesses. This is the main thing," he stated.

At the enterprise, Alexander Lukashenko was informed about the current development of the domestic construction materials and structures industry. According to Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Kuharev, the needs of the Belarusian construction sector for mass materials are fully met. In 2019, organisations of the Ministry of Construction and Architecture exported products worth over $383 million.

"All enterprises must be under scrutiny"

"Keep in mind: you have one thousand one hundred enterprises (it doesn't matter if they are private, state-owned, or municipal) – they must be under scrutiny. Because people work there. We are not going to divide people who work here at Belgips or in your trust," the President pointed out.

The Head of State was also informed about the implementation of large investment projects in the construction sector. New lines are currently being built at enterprises in the cement, mining, glass, and ceramic industries.

As for the new Belgips plant in Gatovo, the enterprise is operating steadily and developing new types of products. Here, growth is observed in all indicators: production rates and volumes, export of building materials, and employee wages. The main markets are domestic and European.

During his visit to the enterprise, Alexander Lukashenko was shown the process of machine application of gypsum plaster, which significantly speeds up and facilitates the work of plasterers. The Head of State took an interest, familiarised himself with the technology in detail, and even tried using a special rule for levelling plaster himself. "Thank you for the lesson," the President concluded.

He also instructed to establish the production of similar units for machine plaster application in Belarus within the current year.