Lukashenko: Attitude to Private and State Enterprises Must Be Equal

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko stated that the attitude to private and state enterprises should be uniform. He made this demand during a meeting on the new price regulation system on February 28, as reported by BelTA.

The head of state revealed that he had been presented with a substantial package of documents prior to the meeting. However, he expressed uncertainty about the proposals being submitted by the government, whether they were intermediate or final suggestions.

"Every day I practically interrogated Snopkov on this matter. Golovchenko reminded that this is your main exam. People are watching us and they support us. We all rejoiced exuberantly at the results of the last elections—the people believed in us. And what about us?" the President posed a rhetorical question. "Once again, I reiterate: when it comes to appointments in the government—it's time for you to leave. They sit around, inventing some formula, and everyone has his own opinion in his head. The President has set the task and drawn a path from which you cannot deviate: we have a dictatorship. And the people support this dictatorship. So act accordingly."

"There should be no harsh regulatory methods that could harm the economy. We must not excessively restrain the prices of producers. There must be a fair level of profitability. Reduce expenditures," Alexander Lukashenko delineated the guiding principles.

He emphasized that enterprises should not include their own costs, such as the purchase of new vehicles, into the production costs, effectively passing them on to consumers. "It’s not just about vehicles. Everyone comes crying, claiming they can’t operate— so let them not operate. Level the playing field for everyone: the country comes first," the President asserted.

The head of state also addressed proposals from the private sector: "Let's restrict state enterprises and allow the private sector to operate based on supply and demand. Yesterday, they shouted: 'Put us on equal footing, with state and private enterprises treated alike.' Today they say: 'No, let's have complete freedom, no regulations at all, while tightening the reins on the state sector.' So what do the private entrepreneurs really want? The treatment of private and state enterprises must be the same—strict, in the interest of the people," demanded Alexander Lukashenko.