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New ministry may guide industrial policy in Belarus

MOZYR DISTRICT, 12 April (BelTA) – It is possible a ministry for industrial policy will be set up in Belarus, First Vice Premier of Belarus Vladimir Semashko told media in Mozyr District on 12 April. “We believe it will be the right thing to do,” said Vladimir Semashko. In his words, Belarus has evolved a branch-wise system to manage the national economy, with the industry minister directly responsible for the operation of any enterprise, including a small one. “The minister should be responsible but differently. The minister should be more of a strategist. She should spend 50-80% of his or her time abroad in travels, handling global matters, seeking cheap money, creating basic conditions for the latest technologies to arrive in Belarus,” said Vladimir Semashko. In his words, it cannot be accomplished instantaneously. “We are now putting together a program to guide the industry’s development till 2020. Yesterday the Council of Ministers Presidium discussed it once again. I think this permanent process will take a couple of years,” the official said. The First Vice Premier also spoke about the creation of holding structures in Belarus. “It is the right thing because the world is getting globalized, transnational corporations are created. Until recently we believed, we were led to believe, that we needed small and medium enterprises. The belief was supposed to make us easier to grab in the end. On the whole, if we want to survive as a nation, the state, we should have a couple of dozens of powerful companies”.

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