MOGILEV, 27 January (BelTA) – Interests of ordinary people are at the heart of Belarus' social and economic policy, Head of the Belarus President Administration Igor Sergeyenko told reporters at the regional meeting of delegates of the Belarusian People's Congress in Mogilev on 27 January.
“After the Belarusian People's Congress, the life of Belarusians will definitely change. It will get better, because the entire social and economic policy of our country is built on promoting the interests of ordinary people. These are matters related to education, healthcare, intellectual potential and income. The program which main points were presented today, is comprehensive. Today, representatives of the central government told the attendees about the development prospects of Mogilev Oblast and the country as a whole. Mogilev Oblast has much to be proud of, and its successes are encouraging. In recent years, Mogilev Oblast has made great strides in the economy, healthcare, agriculture, and infrastructure. Today we also discussed preservation of universal and historical values, the importance of maintaining unity in the society, and the further development of the social and political system of our country. The speakers were people from all walks of life: from heads of big companies and MPs to ordinary agricultural workers. They put forward proposals that need to be addressed at the level of the central government, however a number of issues can be resolved at the level of the region and the regional executive committee. In general, we have had a meaningful, constructive and patriotic conversation,” Igor Sergeyenko said.
Mogilev Oblast will be represented by 310 delegates at the congress. “Although the final year of the five-year period turned out to be difficult and sometimes unpredictable because of the pandemic, border closures and uncertainty in foreign markets, the main industries of the real economic sector of Mogilev Oblast continued to grow, which made it possible to approach the new five-year period with a stronger economy and a better understanding of our points of growth. In 2020 Mogilev Oblast outperformed other regions of the country. A momentous event in the life of our state will take place literally in a two weeks time. For a long time, we have arranged dialogue platforms to discuss various ideas and proposals covering all spheres of life in our country,” Mogilev Oblast Deputy Governor Ruslan Strakhar said in his speech.
In total, the organizing committee of the dialogue platforms in Mogilev Oblast received 270 proposals. “A number of these proposals have already found their way into the draft program of Belarus' social and economic development for 2021-2025. The draft program is to be discussed by delegates at the Belarusian People's Congress. Our common task is to make sure that all these mechanisms laid down in the program will be implemented,” Ruslan Strakhar said.
During the presentation of the draft program of Belarus' social and economic development for 2021-2025, Economy Minister Aleksandr Chervyakov noted that the work on the program lasted more than two years. “Over 100 experts took part in the development of this document. This suggests that the work on the program was comprehensive and very scrupulous. The draft program is a joint brainchild of business, science and the public. And each party made a serious contribution to it,” the minister emphasized.
The draft program consists of four main sections. They set out measures to improve living standards of people, to boost economic growth, to facilitate digital transformation of the economy, to promote regional development, and to create a favorable regulatory environment. “The state will maintain its social focus, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of life of our people. Top on the agenda will be incomes, prices, employment, affordability of housing, as well as cutting-edge healthcare services and education. As far as the economy is concerned, we will continue building capacities in the manufacturing industry and agriculture relying on new technology and digitalization. We will also work to set up new high-tech industries and enterprises. Much attention will be paid to regional development. Thus, there are plans to build 12 kindergartens for a total of about 2,500 kids in Mogilev Oblast in the next five years. In addition to that, two clusters will be created: a biotechnology cluster in Gorky and an IT cluster in Mogilev. The latter will involve representatives of Belarusian-Russian University and the Hi-Tech Park. Two interregional specialized medical centers are to be set up in Bobruisk and Osipovichi,” the minister informed.
According to Head of the Main Healthcare Department of the Mogilev Oblast Executive Committee and delegate of the 6th Belarusian People's Congress Aleksandr Starovoitov, medicine in Belarus has made great strides and it is important to maintain momentum. “Over the past years, we have done a lot to advance medicine both in our region and in the country as a whole. We have laid a serious foundation to do even more. We pay a lot of attention to prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases and cancer. At present, a cardiac surgery building is under construction at the Mogilev Regional Hospital; a cardiotherapy center and a cardiac center will be set up there, too. The construction of a radiation therapy building at the Mogilev Regional Cancer Center is in progress. Another major project, which is part of the president's instructions, is the construction of an infectious diseases building at the multidisciplinary Hospital No. 1 in Mogilev. In addition, many healthcare institutions are being revamped across the regions. These are hospitals in Slavgorod, Cherikov and other towns.
We receive great support from the state and the regional executive committee. Last year alone, over Br600 million was allocated, and this year the amount will be not smaller than that. The healthcare budget is increasing every year. This brings fruit, as important and necessary healthcare facilities are built, medical services are becoming more accessible,” he said.
According to Labor and Social Security Minister Irina Kostevich, it is necessary to modernize the social sphere in order to fulfill all the targets. “The main provisions of the social and economic development program for 2021-2025 provide for a set of measures to improve the quality of life in Belarus. To be happy, a person needs a family, children, a job with decent working conditions and a decent salary. And, of course, attention and care in old age. The main areas of focus in the social and economic development program for the next five years have been determined - these are strengthening of the demographic potential, promotion of effective employment, sustainable income growth, active longevity and care for the older generation. The priorities of our youth have changed. Now they focus on education and career first, and only then they think about family. It is important to keep encouraging more births in our country. Large families are the pride of Belarus. We will consider additional measures to encourage couples to have more children. We must pay even more attention to our young families and ensure decent living conditions for them,” Irina Kostevich emphasized.
Reviewing the results of the meeting, Mogilev Oblast Governor Leonid Zayats noted that Mogilev Oblast has serious ambitions for the upcoming five-year period. “First of all, it is important to preserve the unity in the society. When people are united, it is easier to solve problems, to work for the good of the region and the country. It also makes it much easier to improve the living standards of people and boost economic growth in Mogilev Oblast. We see untapped potential and good reserves in the manufacturing industry and agriculture. There are certain issues that need to be dealt with. After they are resolved, the region will get an additional impetus. I would like to note that people unanimously supported the document that was discussed today in Mogilev, the things that were named the development priorities of Belarus. After all, these are points of growth for our country, a kind of beacons that will guide people from all walks of life,” Leonid Zayats said.
