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Vitebsk bishop Aleh Butkevich has been elected Chairman of the Conference of Catholic Bishops in Belarus. Minsk has played host to a plenary session of the Conference of Catholic Bishops in Belarus (CCBB) to mark the 30th anniversary of the restoration of the Catholic Church structures in Belarus, BelTA learned from the website of the Archdiocese of Minsk and Magilev of the Roman Catholic Church.
The meeting was attended by all Belarusian bishops and Apostolic Nuncio to the Republic of Belarus, Archbishop Ante Jozic. “The main item on the agenda of the meeting was the election of a new chairman. As a result of the voting, Bishop Aleh Butkevich of Vitebsk was elected new chairman of the Conference of Catholic Bishops in Belarus,” the statement reads.
Bishop Aleksander Kaszkiewicz of Grodno was elected deputy chairman of the Conference of Catholic Bishops in Belarus. Auxiliary bishop of Grodno diocese Iosif Staneuski was elected general secretary of the organization.
The participants of the meeting discussed the organization of the Budslau festival this year. It was decided that the traditional celebrations in the National Sanctuary of the Mother of God of Budslau will take place on 2-3 July in the same format as last year, with the observance of sanitary regulations and without organized pilgrimages. Those who wish may make pilgrimages individually.
The state program Roads of Belarus 2021-2025 was approved by the Council of Ministers' Resolution No.212 of 9 April 2021, BelTA learned from the National Legal Internet Portal.
The program is designed to improve the transport and operational condition of public roads through increased investment in transport infrastructure to meet the needs of the economy and society in transport links.
The program includes two sub-programs: National Roads (to improve the transport and operational condition, as well as to improve the quality of national roads) and Local Roads (to improve the condition of local roads).
According to the first sub-program, plans are in place to repair and reconstruct some 809,6 km of national highways, increase the carrying capacity of their pavement up to 11,5 tonnes per axis and increase the speed limit along some 1,780 kilometers. There are plans to reconstruct and build 509.6 kilometers of such roads, including 272.7 kilometers according to the parameters of the first category, and almost 8,200 linear meters of road structures on these roads.
As for the measures of the second subprogram, it is planned to carry out works on maintenance of their transport and operational indicators on local roads, to repair, reconstruct and build some 7,000 kilometers of such roads, some 138 kilometers of them using new technologies. The plans also include repair and reconstruction of 137 road structures with the length of about 4,200 linear meters.
The program implementation will require Br10,552,470,504.8.
The decree comes into force after its official publication, and shall apply to relations arising from 1 January 2021.
Early spring cereals and leguminous crops (excluding corn, buckwheat, and millet) have been sown on 52.9% of the target area in Belarus, BelTA learned from the Belarusian Agriculture and Food Ministry.
As of 12 April early spring crops were planted on the area of 390,000ha. Progress in sowing these crops reached 76.6% in Grodno Oblast, 74.8% in Gomel Oblast, 50.7% in Minsk Oblast, 23% in Mogilev Oblast, and 10.2% in Vitebsk Oblast. The early spring crops sowing in Brest Oblast was completed.
Soil for sowing early spring cereals and leguminous crops was tilled on the area of 532,500ha (72.2% of the target area). This year these crops are supposed to occupy 737,100ha.
Flax was sown on the area of 6,980ha or 14.1% of the plan, sugar beet was sown on the area of 9,700ha or 10.7% of the plan.
Belarus has started testing its power grid and disconnected cross-border power lines with Lithuania, BelTA learned from the Energy Ministry of Belarus.
“The tests are meant to check the reliability of the Belarusian energy system taking into account the planned exit of the Baltic states' power grids from the BRELL system that unites Belarus, Russia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania,” the statement reads.
The testing program that is going to last for 24 hours provides for the disconnection of high-voltage lines, monitoring of the power grid operation and activation of high-voltage lines in compliance with the necessary safety requirements.
Similar tests will be carried out on 11 April.
These works will be performed as part of the program agreed on with the energy grid operators of Belarus, Russia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania (BRELL countries).
Early spring cereals and leguminous crops (excluding corn, buckwheat, and millet) have been sown on 25.8% of the target area in Belarus, BelTA learned from the Belarusian Agriculture and Food Ministry.
As of 6 April early spring crops were sown on an area of 192,200ha. Progress in sowing these crops reached 67.4% in Brest Oblast, 36.9% in Grodno Oblast, 36.8% in Gomel Oblast, 18.1% in Minsk Oblast, 5.75% in Mogilev Oblast, and 1.44% in Vitebsk Oblast.
Soil for sowing early spring cereals and leguminous crops has been tilled on an area of 397,600ha (53.6% of the targeted area). This year these crops are supposed to occupy 742,100ha.
The government has defined lists of state and regional scientific and technical programs for 2021-2025. This is stipulated by Council of Ministers' Decree No.173 of 26 March 2021, which was officially published on the National Legal Internet Portal on 27 April, BelTA has learned.
The list includes 14 state programs. Among them are Digital Technologies and Robotics, Advanced Chemical and Biological Technologies, Green Technologies for Resource Management and Eco-Safety, Smart Instrumentation, Innovative Engineering and Machine Building Technologies, Micro- and Nanoelectronics Industry, Innovative Materials and Technologies, National Standards and High-Tech Research Equipment, Innovative Agro-Industrial and Food Technologies. Separate programs are devoted to scientific support of quality and availability of healthcare services, development of pharmaceutical substances and medicines, technologies of prevention and liquidation of emergency situations, cyber security, and national defense capability.
Also on the list is one regional scientific and technical program - Innovative Development of Brest Oblast. It provides for the development and implementation of innovative technologies in the real sector of the region's economy and aims to improve its competitiveness.
The resolution entered into force after its official publication.
Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko gave additional instructions regarding the landscaping and development of Bragin and other Chernobyl-affected towns during his working trip on 26 April, BelTA has learned.
The head of state drew attention to the need to clearly determine the land plots that could be in demand for private housing construction and landscaping around them.
He proposed to act in the same way with respect to other similar urban settlements and small towns in the south of Belarus, making improvements and creating living conditions for people.
Another focus is the maximum use of local raw materials and fuels, and the use of electricity.
The head of state was briefed on the progress made in landscaping Bragin. These works were carried out in 2018 as part of the president's instruction to complete the landscaping projects in at least two urban settlements in each region within five years, taking into account local features, and following the example of the urban settlement Kopys in Orsha istrict.
In particular, social and sport infrastructure has been developed and a park has been arranged. “The center of the town is ideal today,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
The president stressed that unlike Kopys, Bragin is the center of the district. “The level is higher than in Kopys. Nevertheless, some ideas of Kopys' landscaping should be used here. We have divided the area into land plots there. People are free to buy them, build houses. We should do the same here. This is the development prospect of Bragin and other small [towns],” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
“In this regard, this is good experience of putting in order not only the villages, but also the district centers. We can also do the same in agro-towns, and larger cities. We should pay attention to it,” added the Belarusian leader.
He is sure that with a thorough approach, including the construction of roads and infrastructure, such areas will be in demand.
“It should definitely be done in Bragin. It would be great for a settlement like Bragin: there is a center where people can come and do sports. The houses are neat and tidy. We need to support our five or six southern districts. We cannot abandon these lands. How one can protect these lands if there are no people here. We have to develop such settlements, district centers and agro-towns.
The head of state also spoke to the youth. The development and support of amateur sports in small towns and settlements like Bragin was discussed. Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed the importance of this area, calling it one of the foundations of the ideological work.
Belarus and Russia have made substantial progress in reconciling the Union State programs, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on 22 April, BelTA has learned.
“We are making good progress on our Union State programs. Remember, we started from maps [road maps]. Very important programs. Probably, 26 or 27 programs have already been reconciled at the government level. There is not much left - two or three key programs related to economy, including taxes; it is a well-known program, the decision on which was taken in Minsk,” the president said. “So, I agree with you. We are making progress little by little. But there are hot-button topics, on which we have to work harder, including security and defense of our Union State of Belarus and Russia. Although generally speaking, we've been managing and will manage. But we will draw the lines that no one is allowed to cross and we will give a proper answer to those, who don't understand that one has to be calmer and be friendly in this crazy world.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko reminded that the heads of state put together an action program in late 2020. The presidents of Belarus and Russia have met twice in Sochi recently to discuss various routine matters and strategic ones.
“The last time we agreed that our governments will work seriously in Minsk. I thank you, [Prime Minister of Russia] Mikhail Vladimirovich [Mishustin, who recently led a Russian delegation to Belarus]. He came and spoke like an academician. Well done. It was a very powerful presentation. He talked about economy, finance, taxation, tax administration, about the effectiveness of the taxation system. I will say later, we came to a certain joint conclusion,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
“You and I agreed that after these matters are reviewed, we will meet once again and discuss these matters,” the Belarus president added.
Aleksandr Lukashenko also remarked that a Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia will take place in summer. It will be held in Moscow Oblast this year. “And then we will decide on an autumn session of the Supreme State Council, during which we will be able to formalize all our agreements by signing certain documents,” the Belarusian leader stated.
A number of measures are being taken to protect the domestic market, BelTA learned from Deputy Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade Minister Oksana Konstantinovich on 22 April.
According to the source, a videoconference session of the interagency working group in charge of working out and adopting measures to protect the home market took place on 20 April. First Deputy Prime Minister Nikolai Snopkov, representatives of ministries, concerns, state committees, oblast administrations, and the Minsk City Executive Committee took part in the session. Oksana Konstantinovich continued: “Taking into account the lockdown, closed borders, prohibitions against exporting the most popular goods and rising prices across the globe, including food prices, it is of utmost importance for the economy to protect the home market. It is a complex task for all the government agencies, which work involves merchandise import, production, and trade. A government-approved set of measures to protect the home market in 2021-2022 is being implemented now.”
Participants of the session discussed in detail the measures being taken to reduce the import of foods, which are made in Belarus in sufficient quantities. “It was noted that the Belarusian economy is rather open within the framework of development of integration processes. Competition between Belarusian and foreign producers is getting tougher. The poor competitive ability of some Belarusian goods was mentioned (primarily their prices and in some cases quality). It is necessary to work on reducing prime costs and increasing the competitive ability of manufacturing. Apart from that, producers should put more efforts into positioning their products on the market. A comprehensive analysis of the market is in order for the sake of promoting the goods taking into account demand for them and consumer preferences,” the official noted.
Retailers should also put more efforts into promoting Belarusian goods. The share of Belarusian goods in the total retail volume has been falling for the last ten years. This is why maximum favorable treatment of Belarusian goods and producers inside the country is a key task today, Oksana Konstantinovich stressed.
The official mentioned three main vectors for protecting the home market. The mandatory choice of products in a retail outlet at all hours is one of them. Another one is inspections designed to ensure laws and regulations concerning trade and pricing are observed.
The introduction of trade regulations, including through legislation, is the third vector. The Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade Ministry has passed a number of regulatory acts meant to improve trade regulation. The ministry has also worked out recommendations on ensuring the observance of the national food security doctrine. In line with the doctrine the optimistic level of sufficiency of Belarusian foods on the home market stands at 80-85%. This level has been over 77% for the last few years. Priority placement of Belarusian goods in stores and their visual identification for buyers are some of the recommendations on observing the doctrine. “This year we've expanded recommendations onto online stores: Belarusian goods should be identified with a state emblem or part of the state ornamental pattern,” the deputy antimonopoly regulation and trade minister said.
In her words, the domestic market can be safely protected only on conditions of mutually beneficial cooperation of producers and retailers and on conditions of the mutual interest in promoting Belarusian goods. The main task of the Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade Ministry is to preserve the steady balance of supply and demand on the consumer market, Oksana Konstantinovich concluded.
