MINSK, 26 August (BelTA) – Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko approved the plans to set up a state corporation at the Belarusian food industry concern Belgospishcheprom, Belgospishcheprom Chairman Anatoly Buben told the media, BelTA has learned.
"Indeed, we talked about it. Work is already underway. At the Belarusian People's Congress, the prime minister outlined the goal to set up state corporations in the country. I think it's going to be a step forward. The president approved these plans. He asked us to look into the economic feasibility, the benefits for the state. I told the president that a corporation will allow us to pool our forces and achieve better results by joint efforts, get more profits and manufacture higher-yielding products," the head of the concern said.
"The draft presidential decree is ready. I promised to submit it to the Council of Ministers on 1 September. The president said that if a new food industry corporation makes an economic sense, then it should be up and running as early as next year," Anatoly Buben said.
Following the structural changes, the new entity will be able to open large representative offices in different regions of the world, including China, he said.
"If we are one force, we will be able to compete with any players in the markets, both alcohol and confectionery ones. We will see gains in many areas,” the head of the concern is sure.
As BelTA has reported, when meeting with Belgospishcheprom Chairman Anatoly Buben and Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Subbotin the Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said no one needs reform for the sake of reform. “It must be effective and produce the desired results, first of all, financial results. It should translate into bigger profits, higher profitability and greater efficiency,” the Belarusian leader emphasized.
At present, the Belgospishcheprom concern oversees more than 25 types of economic activity, the main of which are the production of sugar, confectionery, canned fruits and vegetables for babies, vegetable oils and fats, alcoholic beverages and beer, malt, tobacco products and salt. The concern is an umbrella organization for more than 40 companies employing a total of about 20,000 people.
