Aleksandr Lukashenko meets with Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich

Belarus should not slow down its modernization program, President of the Republic of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko has said as he heard out a report of Prime Minister of Belarus Mikhail Myasnikovich on 14 January.

The President wanted to know about the factors that will be in focus of the government this year.

“Our economy has made certain progress, which was mentioned by you and our ministers at the end of the year. However, there are some negative factors that put us on our guard. We should come to grips with them. It would be strange if it did not happen against the backdrop of the deteriorating global economy, at least in the European Union, because our cooperation, just like our ties with the Russian Federation, is equally important,” the President said.

Top on the agenda of the meeting was preparation for a large-scale upgrade of the manufacturing sector.

Aleksandr Lukashenko pointed to the slow GDP growth, but emphasized that this is not his greatest concern. Belarus should not decelerate the modernization program and its efforts to foster economic growth and improve the quality of merchandise.

The head of state asked to inform him what the government is going to do to address these objectives. The President wanted to know how the government is resolving the issues that are of the greatest concern for people.

Mikhail Myasnikovich informed that the economy is growing steadily.

The President advised against advertising of the upgrade efforts, but emphasized that every factory should be involved in the upgrade process.

Aleksandr Lukashenko demanded that the money should be spent reasonably, because the modernization will extend mostly to state-run companies. At the same time, the government is ready to support upgrade efforts and innovation programs of private companies or companies where the government owns a small share.

The Premier said that each company, each local authority, each ministry should adopt a targeted approach to the modernization program. “If you spend money and not get new products, it is a crime,” Mikhail Myasnikovich underlined.