MINSK, 5 March (BelTA) – Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko gave three years to Motovelo Plant to take care of its premises during his visit to the company on 5 March, BelTA has learned.
After the head of state toured the territory where the Motovelo Plant is located and other organizations lease space from OAO Motovelo, he answered the questions from the Motovelo staff. “These are unacceptable conditions for work,” said the president commenting on the uncomfortable conditions in which the employees of the Motovelo Plant have to work.
The president spoke about the decision to locate the Minsk City Technopark on the current territory of Motovelo Plant, with the main production of motorcycles and bicycles to remain in the place. “We will set up the park on the basis of the third building. It will be the most advanced enterprise where you will be working to double the production of vehicles within the next five years,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
“We will keep this production site in the center of the city, but it will a clean site. There will be no casting, no petroleum products here. Another feature of this technopark will be that it will be a purely manufacturing site. No mediators and even no trade,” stressed Aleksandr Lukashenko.
Speaking about companies that may be set up in the technological park, the president cited an example of a private company which he visited as part of the tour around Motovelo: “It has markets, and it sees prospects. I asked the director of the company whether there were any problems. The answer was the lack of space. We have solved this issue. There's enough space for you and this company. This company even provides you with support and assistance sometimes. These are good contacts.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko said that different ways were tried to develop motorcycle production, including the sale to private businesses. “We tried everything. We have come to the conclusion that no private company needs us. There are very few good private companies willing to work for people,” the president said. Motovelo Plant was returned under state control and it was decided to restore the glory that the company had in Soviet times.
Aleksandr Lukashenko instructed to create conditions for the maximum localization during the current modernization of Motovelo. “We need to produce component and spare parts here. We buy component parts from China and assemble vehicles here. It is a huge amount of money, huge expenses; we have to bring them from there, and then take the finished product back to that market. We have to produce as much as we can here,” the Belarusian leader said.
The head of state promised good working conditions for workers of Motovelo by the winter and said that he would revisit the company later to take stock of the implementation of his instructions.
As for the buildings along Partizansky Prospekt, the president spoke against their demolition. “I cannot take the decision to demolish them. It is necessary to put them in order, to make them beautiful,” he said.
There are also plans to set up an exhibition pavilion at the technopark to showcase engineering equipment produced in Belarus.
“Within the next three years we need to bring this territory into perfect condition. What is not needed will be taken away by autumn. We will set up a very good production within three years. Motovelo Plant should regain its Soviet-times glory within the next five years,” the president said.
