Aleksandr Yefimov. An archive photo
MINSK, 27 June (BelTA) – Aleksandr Yefimov has been appointed Industry Minister of Belarus. He has been working as a deputy industry minister up till now. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko has made the relevant personnel management decision, BelTA has learned.
The head of state outlined the range of functions the new industry minister will have to take care of. Aleksandr Yefimov is abroad right now. The president recalled he and Aleksandr Yefimov had discussed a number of matters when the latter was working at OAO Amkodor.
“Before he got a job at the Industry Ministry, upon my initiative we met and looked at some things that Amkodor made and makes. I told him back then that we should replicate those practices all over the country. What should we replicate? We are a machine-building country. Aren’t we? We are. Do we make engines for all our vehicles? No. We don’t make gearboxes at all except for tractors and so on. These are our perspectives. It is one of the avenues,” the Belarusian leader said. “Later on people started liking BelGee cars. Those are good cars. I’ve already said that making cars was the president’s dream. We now make cars. It is now necessary to expand and develop this industry. We have to at least make car bodies instead of importing them from somewhere. Car manufacturing is limited mostly to assembly for now. We have to make our own cars through massive deep manufacturing localization.”
“We will talk with [Aleksandr] Yefimov about it. It is necessary to schedule his report to the president upon return from China. He and Parkhomchik [Deputy Prime Minister Piotr Parkhomchik oversees the manufacturing sector] should come to me and report about perspectives,” the head of state added.
