MINSK, 21 January (BelTA) – It is necessary to draft a transport industry development concept till 2030 as soon as possible, Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Vladimir Kukharev said as he introduced newly appointed Transport and Communications Minister Aleksei Avramenko to the ministry's staff, BelTA has learned.
Vladimir Kukharev highlighted key objectives the ministry is set to fulfill in the near future.
“The first thing to do is to update the transport industry concept. We see that things are changing; therefore, the industry has to improve its performance taking into consideration new approaches and solutions, as well as new consumer needs. This pertains to transportation, the quality of roads and their maintenance, the industry's performance and its optimization,” the vice premier said.
The industry is facing serious tasks related to road haulage, Vladimir Kukharev noted. “There are some bottlenecks that should be addressed immediately. This pertains, first of all, to third countries' permits. It is necessary to improve the quality of services and cut costs in road haulage.
It is also paramount to optimize the railway service and reduce costs there. The same should be done with the aviation industry.
Vladimir Kukharev also commented on the water transportation development prospects. “Unfortunately, there are no uniform approaches, no single clear-cut structure and system-based work in this field,” the vice premier said. The new minister should systemize the work to promote water transportation.
Aleksei Avramenko, in turn, noted that all the instructions will be fulfilled. Speaking to reporters, the minister said that the transportation sector development concept will be drafted within a month or two. “It will set forth development objectives for the railway service, aviation, water transportation and road haulage. The concept will set priorities straight, this will be a comprehensive document,” he noted.
The minister recalled that at present several program documents are in effect, including the state program of transport complex development till 2020 and the state program of road development till 2020. These documents will be revised in order to become applicable for a more distant perspective.
