14 January, Minsk /BELTA correspondent/. The cities of Orsha and Polotsk will be merged with their districts. The corresponding Decree No. 27 "On the Merger of Districts and Cities of Regional Subordination of the Republic of Belarus with a Common Administrative Centre" was signed by the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on 14 January, BELTA was informed by the press service of the head of state. The document provides for the merger of Orsha District and Orsha, Polotsk District and Polotsk, with the aim of improving the system of public administration and ensuring the comprehensive development of administrative-territorial units at the basic territorial level. The prerequisites for such a merger have been developing over the past few years. Thus, in order to improve the management of various spheres of public services, common healthcare, environmental, communication, military commissariat, regional emergency services, court, notary office and other institutions for the district and the city have been merged into a single organization. The concentration of material and financial resources will make it possible to more effectively address issues of rural development, improve the operating conditions for economic entities, and also to resolve issues of socio-economic development of the merged cities and districts more promptly and comprehensively. This will also allow for the optimisation of management processes, the reduction of costs for maintaining management personnel, and the provision of an equal level of access to social infrastructure for the residents of the city and the countryside.-0-

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