ukashenko outlines problem areas in utilities sector
MINSK, 5 April (BelTA) – Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko outlined major problem areas in the country's housing and utilities sector at a government meeting on 5 April, BelTA has learned.
Quality of water
“Water availability still remains an acute problem for rural residents. Due to the deterioration of existing networks and the lack of reserve wells, entire villages can be cut off water supply in case of accidents or repairs,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
According to him, about 800 water deferrization plants have been built over the past three years, but many citizens are still dissatisfied with the quality of water. “How can they be satisfied if you build a new station, but leave old rusty pipes to deliver water intact? I want to hear clear answers to the questions: how are you going to solve this problem and when will you complete other infrastructure projects?” the president asked.
The head of state explained that he referred to the construction and reconstruction of water supply systems and wastewater treatment plants after some international banks had refused to fulfill their earlier obligations to finance some of the projects in Belarus. “Earlier we agreed with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and some other banks that they would provide loans to many housing and utilities projects. They started doing this but then stopped,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
Waste management
There are a lot of complaints regarding the organization of waste management in the country, the president said. “The work related to waste separate collection, recycling and further use is done very poorly,” the president stressed.
In his words, every year the country generates more than four million tonnes of solid municipal waste. Only 790,000 tonnes of secondary material resources were produced in 2021. “In the current conditions, we need to maximize the use of domestic resources, including waste,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
Major overhauls
A significant number of complaints relate to housing major overhauls. According to the head of state, people are most outraged by empty promises, multiple postponements, change of contractors and poor-quality work as a result.
“People complain about protraction, poor quality of works, theft of construction materials. Such behavior makes my blood boil,” the president said.
“We must do our utmost to prevent such things from happening,” the Belarusian leader stressed.
Housing cooperatives
There are many complaints about so-called self-management organizations - housing cooperatives.
“People sometimes do not understand what they are paying for. I would like to warn Minsk and others: I want this issue to be addressed once and for all. Discipline is above all,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
Utilities emergency service 115
The number of complaints about the work of the utilities emergency service 115 does not decrease, either. “People complain about the lack of feedback from the service and also report problems with having their requests fulfilled,” the president said.
Aleksandr Lukashenko asked the government officials about the bottlenecks in the system of housing and utilities services and who fails to ensure effective functioning. “I need an objective analysis of the situation in the country and, most importantly, good proposals to improve the work,” he stressed.
