It is crucially important to ensure discipline in finances and in the field, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he addressed the new appointments, BelTA has learned.
"Discipline is all important, but not heavy-handed discipline. That’s not the way. Discipline above all means technological discipline. If the technology says it’s time to plant, you plant. If it's time to harvest, you harvest. We’re not making this up ourselves. These are the technologies we have today,” the head of state said, addressing the heads of local government bodies.
As an example of a lack of discipline, Aleksandr Lukashenko cited the irresponsible storage of nitrogen fertilizers. In the spring, on the president’s orders, the export of fertilizers was halted until the needs of Belarusian farmers had been fully met. Nevertheless, not all farms ensured proper storage conditions. In some cases, fertilizers were simply left out in the open, which led to them being ruined.
“When we come to Mogilev Oblast, Vitebsk Oblast, or Grodno Oblast, and there they are left out in the open, and nitrogen fertilizers at that... You know what will become of them. They’ll dissolve within hours under the rain,” he stressed. “I send these for the needs of agriculture, and you let them rot out in the open.”
The president also pointed out the unacceptability of negligent handling of expensive machinery, particularly farm machines. “I demand that we have operators for the expensive machinery. Only then you buy those tractors or combine harvesters. This is no longer the kind of equipment we used to have that cost next to nothing. Now it all costs a considerable amount,” the Belarusian leader added.
Addressing the heads of the local authorities, the head of state once again touched upon the issue of the agricultural sector returning funds for fuel from the reserve. This matter had been raised earlier during a conference call, and the repayment deadline was set for 1 August of this year. “They promised to return it by 1 August. I didn’t twist anyone’s arm. Although this isn’t right. The main cash flows come in August, when farmers harvest, sell, and supply... They can pay for this fuel. We shifted it by a month so that you wouldn’t go around asking ‘let’s push it to 1 September’. That would go on forever. But we agreed that the money needs to be returned,” the president stressed. “Technological discipline must be maintained both in finances and in the field.”
He also touched upon areas such as construction and housing and utilities, which are often the source of many complaints from the public. “I very much hope that you will straighten things out,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized.
Among those whom the head of state approved for appointment to new positions were the first deputy chairman of the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee and the deputy chairman of the Brest Oblast Executive Committee. In this regard, Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that Brest had always been distinguished by order and discipline: “As far as construction is concerned, we have never had any problems in Brest Oblast.”
“Grodno is a beautiful city, the showcase of our country. People from the West, when coming to Grodno, see the beauty and the order that exists there,” the president said, addressing Sergei Medzvetskas, who was approved for the post of first deputy chairman of the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee.
