The situation at major largest companies affiliated with the Industry Ministry was high on the agenda of the meeting. “We will discuss the state of affairs and what are the development prospects for these companies,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
He added that several days ago he heard out reports of the first vice premier and the finance minister. The meeting examined the state of affairs in finances and budget of the country. “Everyone understands perfectly well that efficient operation of manufacturing companies is crucial for the national budget and the ability of the state to finance social programs. The stable operation of the Belarusian industry is a cornerstone of the country's economy,” the head of state said.
The president added that this year has been a difficult one. Many markets closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The flow of goods and capital practically stopped. Now there is a difficult political situation in the country, and the attempts to stir up tensions comes from inside and outside, he said. “This pressure impacts the domestic economic situation. I would like to reiterate that no one will give us any gratuitous assistance. We have to rely on our strengths and capabilities.”
The head of state asked the participants of the meeting, especially the heads of enterprises, what the moral and psychological situation in working collectives is, how the manufacturing processes are going and what the situation with export is. “Export promotion is our key challenge. A foreign currency flow, ruble exchange rate and so on depend on this. We cannot sit and wait for some to come and line up to buy these products. We have to be more aggressive. We provide export promotion assistance. Is there anything we could do more to help,” the head of state asked.
According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, almost all the country's industries showed growth in January-July, and stocks of finished products are gradually decreasing. These are positive signals, he said. The president also asked about the companies' forecasts for the end of 2020. “Next year is the start of a new five-year plan. No matter what it takes, we have to work hard and show growth at the finish line,” the Belarusian leader said.
According to Industry Minister Piotr Parkhomchik, Belarusian industrial enterprises operate in the normal mode. All production lines are in action, and Belarusian products are sold under the signed contracts. “The social and psychological situation has normalized over the last week and is assessed as satisfactory today. Awareness raising activities are conducted with the staff. There are no economic reasons for possible strikes,” the minister said.
