There can be no privatization of the Minsk Leather Production Association. This was stated by the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko today during his visit to the plant, according to a BELTA correspondent.
during his visit to the plant, according to a BELTA correspondent.
"There can be no privatization of this enterprise. The processing of leather raw materials is a strategic sector of our country," emphasized Alexander Lukashenko. He noted that this area of the economy should be given due attention.
"We cannot, no matter how good a person is, give all the raw materials into one pair of hands. You understand what this can lead to," the President added. Moreover, according to him, the conditions were not the best for the enterprise and the state.
Earlier, the government had proposed the privatization of the plant in Gatovo. In its opinion, this was the only way to solve the problems at the enterprise. It was planned that the production would be transferred to "Belwest".
The Head of State instructed to provide the necessary support to the plant in Gatovo so that it could focus on its work. For this, it is necessary to support the enterprise financially: to allocate about Br8-9 million for the payment of overdue debts to meat processing plants for supplied leather raw materials, as well as $2.5 million for the construction of treatment facilities. But Alexander Lukashenko also set specific tasks for the development of production before the enterprise itself.
From meat processing plants – suppliers of leather raw materials, processors, and enterprises – consumers of leather, the President instructed to form a kind of association. Manufacturers of leather goods should orient the plant in Gatovo towards the production of goods that they need and that would suit them in all respects, in order to eventually switch to consuming domestic raw materials.
Later, meeting with the employees of the Minsk Leather Production Association, Alexander Lukashenko explained his decision and revealed some details of the proposed deal. "The issue is that your raw materials are consumed by 78 enterprises in Belarus: clothing, footwear, and so on. The government is proposing to sell you to one of them. Will this be fair to the other 77? No. I believe that a person came with good intentions. That's today, and tomorrow, when he becomes the owner, he will dictate his terms to other enterprises. This is no longer equal competition," the head of state pointed out.
Alexander Lukashenko noted that if the state cannot cope with a particular enterprise, then privatization can be considered. But in this case, there is no need for it. "The state can solve the remaining problems here," the President stated. "They asked to privatize the enterprise and grant huge benefits – meaning they won't pay taxes. And the benefits are equal to the amount we need to invest in modernization. What's the point? Therefore, all decisions have been made so that you can work."
"Try to work and keep this enterprise in your hands. Your children are not expected anywhere else. Therefore, make a good enterprise so that your children can work here and receive a normal salary," the head of state added.
Answering a question from one of the enterprise's employees about the import of leather raw materials, Alexander Lukashenko noted that measures to protect the domestic market should be taken carefully so as not to harm partnership relations with other states. For example, if the supply of certain products to Belarus, such as from Russia or Turkey, is banned, they may respond in kind regarding Belarusian export goods. "Therefore, keep in mind: you need to prepare for competition. This (protecting the domestic market from imports. – Ed. BELTA) is, you know, a double-edged sword. I know how they can respond. And we are not a behemoth. We are a small Central European state," the Belarusian leader emphasized.
The factory employees also thanked the President for resolving the issue of reconstructing the treatment facilities. "We must solve this problem. This is the main thing. People live in Gatovo. Therefore, this is a very important state issue. We will take the first step this year. And then we will constantly work, because it involves considerable funds," the head of state said.
Alexander Lukashenko assured that other issues raised by citizens, such as housing, would also be resolved. "You have a readiness for work. This is already good. Many people walked around here before my arrival. And all your sentiments were described to me. You have a good team. Therefore, you should be helped, because you will repay it in full someday - with taxes and so on," the President noted. - We agreed that the governor would help you build housing, as much as we can, we will transfer it for rent, and you will hire people afterwards: if they work for you, they will live in the house. Therefore, support should be provided in this regard as well. Yes, you can transport people from somewhere by bus, but if you think about it, summing up all the costs, it will be more expensive for your enterprise than building a house. That is, we have made a comprehensive decision."
BELTA