MINSK, 6 September (BelTA) – The industrial group Belorusneft saved the country once. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko recalled that as he heard out a report from Belorusneft Director General Aleksandr Lyakhov on 6 September, BelTA has learned. Chairwoman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus Natalya Kochanova was also present during the meeting.
The president promised assistance with resolving red-tape and excessive bureaucracy problems to the company's management. “There is plenty of bureaucracy and foot-dragging. But we will resolve the problem. Just the way we did once with regard to refueling stations,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. “Not a single matter is accomplished in Belarus without you. If Belorusneft cannot build a refueling station somewhere, then feel free to initial the document, I will sign it and we will give it to some other company. According to my data, Belorusneft accounts for about 70% of the market [sales of oil products] in Belarus. I will always support it as long as I am the president,” the head of state stressed.
He reminded that Belorusneft saved the country in the past. “When Russia stopped supplying the necessary volumes of oil to us. Someone hoped we would have a shortage of oil products. Then we processed all the oil we'd extracted for domestic needs. And people didn't notice any shortages. There wasn't one. Thanks to our company,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
“This is why I made the right decision in the past, excuse me for immodesty. I forbade any privatization of Belorusneft. It is a state enterprise, which is supposed to provide our population with all the necessary oil products. There is no Belarus today without oil products. Everyone already has 2-3 cars per family, particularly advanced Belarusians. And the cars need fuel. We make it. We evaluate the markets to see what sells better – oil, oil products. And then there are deliveries from the Russian Federation. We fully satisfy our domestic needs,” the president noted.
