Lukashenko on enterprise efficiency: I am concerned about the people

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko emphasizes that when addressing issues related to the operation of specific enterprises, his primary concern is the people – the employees – and their salaries. The Head of State made this point today during a visit to Orsha, where he is touring the cheese production facility "Savushkin-Orsha" LLC, as reported by a BELTA correspondent.

Upon arrival, the Head of State inquired about the enterprise's operations and development prospects. The modern facility is gradually increasing its capacity, which means it requires both additional workforce and raw materials.

Meanwhile, Orsha also hosts a processed cheese plant with significant debts. However, the production volumes of this plant can be easily substituted under current conditions, and the employees there currently receive salaries that are, on average, one-third lower than those at "Savushkin-Orsha" LLC. It was noted that there is an opportunity to employ qualified specialists at the new enterprise, ensuring an increase in their income. Furthermore, a certain volume of raw materials will be freed up. Alexander Lukashenko has instructed that by the end of the year, the issue should be thoroughly examined to determine whether the old production facility needs to be preserved, what to do with the debts, and from which sources they should be repaid.

The President stressed: the main thing is people's incomes and highly efficient jobs. "I am concerned about the people," he said. "We must not abandon people. Sit down and resolve this issue. We must operate as required from January 1st. To the extent that, if necessary, we will involve the Mogilev region – the area for the raw material zone."

"Savushkin-Orsha" LLC was established in October 2018. In December of the same year, the "Orshansky Gorlachik" enterprise, with two sites in Orsha and Kopys, was incorporated into it. The total amount of investment since acquisition has exceeded $41 million.

Currently, a new high-tech production site has been built from scratch on the site of the outdated facility, meeting all international standards for product quality and safety. The site specializes in the production of fresh cheeses, which are in demand on the market, under the "Savushkin" and Sveza brands.

Savushkin-Orsha LLC has already started producing its first fresh cheeses: feta and brynza (import substitution and in-demand export products). The initial capacity is 20 tons of fresh cheese per day. Adyghe, queso blanco, Caucasian, and Oltermanni cheeses are next in line. Furthermore, the installation of new mozzarella production lines will begin this autumn, with a planned launch in January 2021.

By the completion of the third stage of modernization in June 2021, the demand for raw materials at the Orsha site alone will increase to 600 tons per day. Therefore, one of the main tasks facing the company today is close cooperation, utilizing existing experience, with farms in the raw material zone located in the Orsha and Dubrovno districts of the Vitebsk region, to improve the quality and quantity of milk supplied for processing.