Working trip to Brest

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko made a working trip to Brest, where he visited the Electric Lamp Plant.

The head of state focused first on the region’s agriculture. Approaching Brest, he inspected the local fields from his helicopter. “Overall, it’s not bad, but there’s nothing to write home about. I thought to myself: heaven forbid things on the ground in Grodno Oblast are the same as in Brest Oblast – that would be bad. After all, Grodno Oblast has always been our leader in this regard,” the President emphasized. "I’m not saying it’s bad [in Brest Oblast], but it’s certainly not impressive.”

“I have no doubt that you will complete the harvest,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said to Brest Oblast Governor Piotr Parkhomchik. “I am interested in something else: the yields of crops, grains, and so on.”

Another demand from the head of state was to restore order and root out mismanagement in the region. “I must say, you still have a bit of a mess in certain places. Trees have grown on the roofs of some old, abandoned facilities – they need to be removed,” he emphasized. “Order must be brought to Brest Oblast.”

The President also drew the attention of the Brest Oblast governor to the need to ensure proper storage conditions for hay: “The hay is rolled into bales and just left out there. Hay must be kept under a roof. Or come up with some protective covering for these bales so they don’t get wet. It’s tightly packed hay, if water gets in, it will all rot. I know this from experience.”

Aleksandr Lukashenko also raised the issue of straw clearing, noting that the work has not been completed everywhere in Brest Oblast: “It looks to me like you’ve only gathered and removed a third of the straw.”

The head of state was told that there is demand for straw, including from button mushroom growers. However, the President reasonably countered that Brest Oblast does not produce enough mushrooms to require such huge volumes of straw. “Look, if you flood the world with mushrooms and use straw for that – thank you very much. But I know exactly how much straw mushrooms actually need,” he stated.

Aleksandr Lukashenko also demanded to bring order to Belovezhskaya Pushcha. “We need to sort things out in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Not just along the route I flew over, but across the entire forest. There are far too many fallen trees. I am dissatisfied with what is happening in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Order must be restored,” he said.

“You are doing a good job here, but we need more. Starting next year, begin putting things in order here in Brest. I am expecting a lot from you,” Aleksandr Lukashenko told Piotr Parkhomchik.

The head of state heard a report on the current state and development prospects of the enterprise, which is part of the Horizont holding. The discussion touched upon products such as incandescent lamps, which are no longer in demand. In this regard, the President stated that it is necessary to focus on LED lamps.

“We need LED light bulbs. In Belarus, everything should be switched to LED: it is economical and cost‑effective. Why not invest in this area, where we already have a school and expertise?” the President asked a reasonable question. “The government needs to shift toward developing what we are good at.” As it was reported to the head of state, incandescent lamps currently occupy an insignificant share of production, with the focus placed on LED lamps.

During his visit to the Brest Electric Lamp Plant, the President examined the work of several production areas where incandescent lamps, electronic modules, LED lamps, and other types of products are manufactured.

In addition, the head of state toured an exhibition of products from the electric lamp plant and the enterprises of the Horizont holding. In the Year of the Belarusian Woman, Horizont produced a new laptop in a popular orange color. It is distinguished by its light weight and ultra-thin body.

The head of state recalled that several years ago he replaced his Apple computer with a domestically produced Horizont device. In this regard, he emphasized the need to find ways to support domestic manufacturers and noted that this topic would be discussed at a meeting with the government.

Following the visit to the Brest Electric Lamp Plant, the President was given a symbolic gift. The enterprise is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. On this occasion, Aleksandr Lukashenko was presented with the first light bulbs that were produced here in 1966. The head of state instructed that they be placed in the Gift Museum at the Palace of Independence.