Belarus to establish regional centers for economic growth
MINSK, 17 June (BelTA) – Centers for economic growth will be set up in the regions of Belarus. The decision is envisaged in Belarus’ draft social and development program for 2016-2020, which is to be discussed at the 5th Belarusian People’s Congress, BelTA has learned.
Centers for economic growth will be established through the concentration of resources on the key areas, able to ensure maximal development of the territories, efficient use of the local resource potential and competitive advantages. The centers will unite modern production facilities as well as facilities of engineering, technical and social infrastructure.
The most important area of the regional policy is the development of the main networks and facilities of the power, transport, telecommunication and other infrastructure. Special attention will be attached to the use of public-private partnership mechanisms.
Reasoned decisions will be taken to reorganize or reorient companies, develop new areas of activity. Necessary measures will be taken to provide jobs at companies set up in the centers for economic growth.
Support will be provided to the most lagging regions through the creation of conditions to stimulate the establishment of new enterprises, subsidiaries and workshops of the operating production facilities engaged, first of all, in the agriculture and forestry sectors, processing of their products, production of goods made of local raw material, development of the tourism and services sectors.
Among the promising instruments for attracting foreign investment is the intensification and strengthening of interregional relations between China and Belarus, implementation of joint projects with the annual utilization of at least $100 million of China’s FDI by each of seven regions.
Efforts will be continued to develop the areas suffered from the Chernobyl nuclear power accident, including necessary protective measures, radiation monitoring and control over the radioactive pollution of the environment and products.
The abovementioned measures will help enhance living standards and social services for people in all the regions, reach positive changes in the structure of regional economy, considerably increase the level and efficiency of using local resources and competitive edge of every region.
