MINSK, 19 October (BelTA) – A draft housing utilities development concept through 2025 has been worked out in Belarus, Deputy Prime Minister Anatoly Kalinin said at the nationwide seminar held on 19 October to discuss the improvement of the country's utilities system, BelTA has learned.
A decision has also been taken to set up an institute on utilities services at the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. A number of draft documents have been developed with a view to improving economic, organizational and legal framework of the sector. Among them are draft laws on amendments and additions to the Housing Code, five decrees envisaging an approval of the state program Clean Water, lift replacement, thermal rehabilitation of houses, the transfer of non-core assets to specialized organizations, the expansion of the category of citizens in providing cashless housing subsidiaries, and three decisions of the Council of Ministers.
“Taking into account the results of the seminar, the draft documents will be finalized and submitted to the head of state. Once the concept is approved, the current state program Comfortable Housing and Favorable Environment for 2016-2020 will be adjusted and a new state problem for the next five years will be worked out,” said Anatoly Kalinin.
He called upon the participants of the seminar to introduce constructive proposals on enhancing the efficiency of the utilities sector.
“We need a unified state policy in the utilities sector both in the center and the regions. The number one task is to ensure the quality and transparency of services,” stressed Anatoly Kalinin.
According to the poll conducted by the information and analytical center in May 2017, more than 60% of citizens are satisfied with the work of the utilities organizations, with the negative feedback reducing by 18% as against 2014.
The nationwide seminar on improving and developing the utilities sector of the country is taking place in Minsk on 19-20 October. The first day of the seminar will feature field working and the presentation of the best practices of the housing and public utilities, progressive resource and energy saving technologies for their gradual introduction across the country. The major goal of the seminar is to determine the main areas in utilities improvement and development in the midterm.
