MINSK, 24 December (BelTA) – According to First Deputy Economy Minister Yuri Chebotar, the efforts to reduce regional inequality rely on effective operation of the real economic sector, BelTA learned from the press service of the Economy Ministry.
Yuri Chebotar delivered a report at the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee. This marked a start of working trips of the ministry's senior officials to the regions where they will participate in sessions of the regional Councils of Deputies.
According to the first deputy minister, in 2022 the efforts to reduce regional inequality will focus on three priority areas: investment, export, salaries. “Whether these priorities will be achieved or not will directly depend on how the real economic sector performs. Therefore, the industry sectors and local authorities need to step up efforts to analyze the state of affairs and development prospects of state-owned enterprises, to deal with troubled debts through the instruments envisaged by three decrees - No. 391, No. 88 and No. 200. We are introducing KPIs (key performance indicators) for the management of state-run organizations. These indicators include profitability of sales, net profit, export of goods and services. Import substitution is an equally important task. All ministries and regions are involved in achieving it. As far as Minsk Oblast is concerned, the output of import-substituting products in the region should reach $1.3 billion,” he said.
Yuri Chebotar deems it necessary to work harder to explore promising export markets. For this, measures to support export are envisaged in two decrees - No. 534 and No. 466. “In 2022, Minsk Oblast will have to increase the supply of agricultural products and food to $1.3 billion. A similar task is set for mechanical engineering and automotive industry. The region has everything in place to achieve it if it taps into the existing reserves in the pharmaceutical industry, food industry and, of course, takes advantage of the capabilities of the Great Stone Industrial Park,” the first deputy minister emphasized.
