Each district of the Vitebsk region must implement 3-4 major investment projects within the five-year period.
Each district of the Vitebsk region must implement 3-4 major investment projects within the five-year period.
This task was set for the regional asset by the Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Alexander Subbotin, today at the session of the Regional Council of Deputies, when summing up the results of 2021 and discussing forecast indicators for 2022.
In 2022, the implementation of the new investment cycle of the five-year plan will continue. In the Vitebsk region, approximately Br3.4 billion is to be directed towards development, ensuring a growth rate of investment in fixed assets at the level of 103.3%. To this end, the implementation of over 170 investment projects in the real sector of the economy with a financing volume exceeding Br960 million will continue, as well as almost 200 projects for infrastructure development worth over Br660 million.
The main growth points for investment activity should be the modernisation of the real sector of the economy, import substitution projects, and the development of engineering and transport infrastructure in the FEZ "Vitebsk".
"One of the strategic tasks is the implementation by the end of the five-year period of a significant investment project for the region's economy and, at least, 3-4 projects for the production of high value-added products using local raw materials in each district. There are already developments in woodworking, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and machine building," noted Alexander Subbotin.
In addition, among the reserve areas for attracting investment, the head of the region named the further development of pharmaceutical, petrochemical, and composite clusters through the creation of cooperation chains and the involvement of small and medium-sized businesses in the further processing of the products obtained. Cluster development will be facilitated by the creation of specialised industry laboratories and technology transfer centres with the involvement of universities and secondary vocational institutions.
Among the priority tasks for the development of the industrial complex, Alexander Subbotin named the minimisation of dependence on the petrochemical and energy sectors by increasing production in other industries, especially those that use local natural raw materials and do not depend on external supplies. In the food industry, it is necessary to ensure an increase in manufactured products through the development of raw material zones, further modernisation of production facilities, increased utilisation of production capacities, and the development of new product types.
Alexander Subbotin separately focused on the need to develop dolomite extraction and the production of products from it. "Vitebsk hosts the only enterprise in Belarus and the largest in Europe, 'Dolomit'. The need for its technical re-equipment has become urgent, as the equipment wear there exceeds 70%," said the head of the region. Another reserve for the development of industrial production, especially in rural regions, is the extraction and processing of peat and sapropel. For the current five-year period, 5 projects for peat processing and only one for sapropel (in the Shumilino district) are planned for implementation, while the Vitebsk region holds 80% of the republic's sapropel reserves, noted Alexander Subbotin.
In the light industry, the growth points should be the modernised footwear enterprises and the fur combine, as well as the continuation of robotisation of production processes at SOOO "Belvest". To stabilise the situation with raw material supply for the Orsha Flax Combine, it is necessary to intensify efforts to form an integrated structure based on the flax combine and to carry out further modernisation of flax processing plants. There are agreements on support from republican management bodies to provide more attractive conditions for flax cultivation, reported Alexander Subbotin.
The implementation of measures for the development of the industrial complex will ensure an increase in manufacturing industry output by at least 5% in 2022, an increase in wages across industry as a whole by 10%, and an increase in sales profitability to 7% (excluding "Naftan" and "Vitebskenergo").
Among the priority tasks for agriculture, the head of the region named increasing the production efficiency of enterprises, including those that are part of agro-industrial associations. Work on reforming unpromising agricultural organizations (their preliminary list has already been determined) is to be completed, as well as ensuring the timely repayment of restructured debts in accordance with Decree No. 70. In crop production, it is necessary to achieve an increase in output by improving the productivity of agricultural land, strictly adhering to technological regulations for crop cultivation, strengthening land use discipline, and using promising varieties and hybrids. "There should be no reduction in sown areas, and the optimization of their structure should be aimed at providing livestock with grain feed, forage, and vegetable protein, and processing enterprises with the necessary raw materials," emphasized Alexander Subbotin. The solution of these and a number of other tasks will allow in 2022 to reach a gross agricultural output growth rate of at least 104%, and increase sales profitability to 5.7%.
Source: vitebsk-region.gov.by