Visit to BelGee car manufacturer

During a working trip to Borisov District, Minsk Oblast, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko visited the BelGee car manufacturer.

The President’s helicopter landed in the territory of the BelGee factory. A large parking lot containing ready cars is nearby. This is why Aleksandr Lukashenko wondered why there is a waiting list for buying these cars while the local stock in storage is overflowing.

The head of state was assured that the cars in the parking lot represent only three days of the company’s output. The products get shipped to customers both in Belarus and Russia. Dealerships in Belarus now have about 800 cars.

The head of state was told that Belarus’ automobile manufacturing industry demonstrates good performance as a whole. For instance, in 2023 it achieved the highest export volume in more than 20 years. A large-scale investment program is being implemented, including with the assistance of Russia, which is now very interested in products of the Belarusian automobile industry and is ready to finance the relevant projects. Because Belarus has manufacturing facilities and specialists with certain competences.

“We should exploit the opportunity. There is a market and we are in demand,” the President said. “They want to do business with us. We have competences. We have preserved them. We have to grab the chance. Moreover, they give us money and want us to make things.”

Belarusian electric vehicles enjoy a strong demand on the market as well. Two pilot projects are being implemented in the country to switch passenger transportation to electric vehicles in Zhodino and in Shklov District. The projects provide for developing the relevant infrastructure. The projects are supposed to be completed and the relevant electric vehicles are supposed to be delivered in Q1 2024. The goal is to gradually increase the use of electricity for passenger transportation, reduce air pollution, and put the country’s available competences in the field of production of electric vehicles and charging stations into practice.

“It is the right thing to do. We have to show these prospects to people on the ground and we should work in this direction,” the head of state said.

Specialists said that manufacturers of electric vehicles have enough contracts for the current year and are now signing contracts for the year 2025. Their products enjoy a strong demand.

“It means I was right when the decision to build a bus factory was made. We just have to build it faster while the demand lasts,” the President remarked.

Speaking about automobile manufacturing in Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko spoke figuratively and said “we are like a bird that flies with one and a half wings instead of one wing.” He explained that Belarus makes trucks, dump trucks, and buses but car manufacturing is less developed. “We need a car as part of this lineup. For the people. We need to reach out to every person. The waiting list is crazy. People want to buy these cars. It is the job of the government and the minister to satisfy this demand come hell or high water. We should satisfy this demand. Otherwise, competition will take our place. This is why it is necessary to increase the output of cars as much as possible,” the head of state stressed.

Car manufacturing is developing mainly in two directions in Belarus. SZAO BelGee is the first one. Cooperation with the Chinese car maker FAW for the sake of making Hongqi brand cars is another one that has been opened recently.

Aleksandr Lukashenko mentioned the importance of advancing cooperation with Chinese partners, who have modern competences in the field of automobile manufacturing.

But Belarusian manufacturers need to resolve one issue – manufacturing localization. “We need to make more ourselves,” the President said.