LEPEL DISTRICT, 31 October (BelTA) - Belarus has everything it needs to live well, but people must be proactive, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he spoke with residents of the village of Domzheritsy during a working trip to Lepel District on 31 October, BelTA has learned.
The head of state pointed out that he is not in favor of granting all sorts of benefits and preferences or creating “paradise-like” conditions for any specific category of citizens. This applies to young people as well. Especially since at a young age, there is enormous potential to realize oneself and earn a living. “We should help young people in areas where they are unable to do something themselves,” the president said.
Using Domzheritsy as an example, Aleksandr Lukashenko explained that when good living and working conditions exist, young people do not seek to move to big cities. “Young people need conditions that allow them to earn enough to support their families. We have these conditions,” emphasized the head of state. “I remember my first presidential years, when I would wake up every morning and not know how to provide people with work. And where people were employed, the question was where to find the money to pay them. It was terrible!”
“Today, those who want to earn money, can earn money. To live well, to have a decent life, you must be proactive. Our job is to create the conditions. The state, the government, must create the conditions,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized. In Belarus, for example, everyone has equal opportunities to receive an education, regardless of their income level or social status. This is a key component for mastering a profession and achieving success in life in the future. And to build this system of equal opportunities in the country, the state and Aleksandr Lukashenko personally have put in a great deal of effort.
At the same time, the president emphasized that having equal opportunities does not at all mean “leveling” everyone.
“We should never try to make everyone the same. If we level everyone, like in the old days, we will destroy the good, the talented. They will lose their incentive to work, because someone who does nothing and can do nothing will be put on the same level as a talented person. A person who is talented by nature, by God's grace, by education, who studied harder and made an effort, you will earn more. There should be no leveling. But we have provided such opportunities,” said the head of state.
Aleksandr Lukashenko is confident that there are many talented people in Belarus and that each of them has the opportunity to achieve success, to realize themselves in their profession, and to move up the career ladder, even to high state posts. “God grant that we have even more talented people. You point out a talented person to me, and we will take them and nurture them. Perhaps they are already ready to manage a certain sector or industry,” the president noted.
According to him, the state is ready to consider proposals on how to improve the established system, but only if they are constructive and worthwhile. “If you are criticizing, then compare it with others - see if others have such an opportunity. Wealthy Poland, for instance, is supposedly in the top thirty countries by GDP. So why can't a third of its population make ends meet today? It's because life is very expensive. It's not so important how much you produce, but how people can live under those conditions,” the Belarusian leader pointed out.
He noted that it is fundamentally human nature to want more than one has. That's why even wealthy people feel they don't have enough money. “But in this case, you can earn as much as you want. There is a demand [for your products],” the president said.
At the same time, there are certain categories of people who need state assistance, as well as those the state has an interest in helping to address specific, pressing tasks. For example, various forms of state support are provided to large families with the aim of improving the difficult demographic situation. However, Aleksandr Lukashenko warned that there should be no excesses in this matter. For instance, such families should not be drawn into large cities and Minsk by providing them with housing there.
“But you must understand that benefits have their limits,” the president pointed out. “We use various channels to take resources from those who are working to provide benefits and help others. We could approve many benefits, but we would be unable to fund them. I cannot just take from working people, they would also be outraged and say: ‘We have our own lives to live’. It's a very fine line.”
Follow us on:
