MINSK, 1 April (BelTA) – The government believes that all people with disabilities who are able to work should be given such an opportunity, Belarus' Deputy Prime Minister Igor Petrishenko told journalists on 1 April, BelTA has learned.
In 2020, the number of employed people with disabilities in the country increased to 59% of the total number of people with disabilities who are able to work. “There are more than 500,000 persons with disabilities in the country, 116,000 of them are able to work in line with medical indications,” Igor Petrishenko said. “Perhaps, Belarus is the only country in the world that promotes at the government level the establishment of companies with accessible workplaces. Such companies are offered certain benefits. We want as many people with disabilities as possible to find jobs, if their health allows that. We are taking every effort: create accessible workplaces, invest money. Last year, the government allocated around Br5 million to create 50 additional accessible workplaces,” he added.
On 1 April, the Svetopribor enterprise, a branch of the BelTIZ company, hosted a meeting of the national council for problems of people with disabilities. Participants of the meeting discussed ways to ensure stable operation of companies that employ persons with disabilities and to help such persons compete in the labor market more successfully. The participants were to draw up a plan of activities and instructions to various agencies. The council usually met twice a year, but plans to convene four times in 2021.
The council should hold on-site meetings at enterprises employing people with disabilities, Chairman of BelTIZ Central Board Oleg Shepel noted. This way, representatives of government agencies will see for themselves that employment for people with disabilities is not just a job, but a means of socialization, almost another home.
BelTIZ employs 1,500 people, including more than 800 persons with disabilities. Visually impaired people can perform only a few operations. However, although it would be more cost-effective to use an automated production line, the company does not intend to make its workers redundant, because it performs an important social role. “The government offers us benefits, namely, compensation for less cost-effective labor. However, even with preferential taxation it is difficult to remain a profitable company,” Oleg Shepel noted. According to him, it would help if such companies were able to purchase equipment on the terms of government procurement.
Nevertheless, the enterprise has good production capacities and successfully competes in markets, as it produces high-quality certified goods. In 2020, despite the difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, BelTIZ export soared by almost 25%. All in all, around 66% of its output is bound for export, mainly for the CIS member states.
“We want the enterprise to continue developing and increasing its capacities,” Igor Petrishenko added. “It should also boost cooperative deliveries. There is a department that makes products not only for its own needs but also for companies from other sectors, in particular, for the Industry Ministry. We will give appropriate instructions to support this enterprise,” he added.
The largest associations of persons with disabilities in Belarus are the Belarusian Society of People with Disabilities, the Belarusian Deaf People Society, and the Belarusian Association of Visually Impaired People. Their network includes 81 companies, where 56% of employees are people with disabilities. These enterprises make clothes, knitwear, textile products, plastic and polyethylene goods, metal products and structures, various types of reinforcements, LED lamps, and timber products. Some companies specialize in construction and renovation services, technical testing, printing, and so on.
In 2020, their output equaled Br200.6 million, the production cost of sold goods amounted to Br191.2 million, and profit from sales of products, works, and services came at Br18.8 million. Export of products reached $27.7 million, with the foreign trade surplus at $19.6 million. Export markets include the CIS countries and the Baltic states.
Economic effectiveness of these enterprises (including by means of introducing advanced technologies) influences the living standards of people with disabilities. However, the government still needs to provide various benefits and preferential taxation.
The state program to facilitate people's employment from the state social security fund provides for financing and compensating for expenses to create and maintain jobs for people with disabilities.
Under this program, 537 persons with disabilities underwent adaptation at workplaces in 2020 and their employers received compensation for their salaries during the adaptation period. Another 44 people with disabilities received subsidies to set up their own business, including in agro-ecotourism and crafts, 155 people were provided free education.
Photos by Andrei Pokumeiko
