Anzhelika Nikitina met with the staff of a plastic packaging production enterprise in Vitebsk
How to strengthen the industrial potential of the Vitebsk region, what will be the focus in the near future in terms of production development, increasing output volumes and investments? Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee Anzhelika Nikitina spoke about this at a meeting with the work collective of the enterprise "Allianceplast" – a resident of the "Vitebsk" Free Economic Zone.
She separately focused on one of the key priorities of the five-year Socio-Economic Development Program – the development of regions, as well as the approaches that will be used to achieve the set tasks.
– Great attention is paid to the development of regions today. Strong regions mean a strong country. We see that the population today is striving for large cities, the capital. Our main task is to develop the industrial potential of the Vitebsk region by creating favorable conditions for specialists and supporting young personnel. To achieve this, we will work together, making every effort. The main emphasis is placed on agro-towns, villages of the future, and preserving competencies in them, – Anzhelika Nikitina outlined.
The Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee spoke about the work to improve living conditions in rural areas: the healthcare system and social infrastructure are being improved, and housing is being built. Rental houses to attract and retain specialists will be erected in district centers and large agro-towns. New enterprises will continue to appear in small regions, which will ensure job creation.
Anzhelika Nikitina drew attention to the need to attract investments for industrial development. After all, increasing the competitiveness of enterprises is impossible without modernization, increased labor productivity, and job creation, which allows for increasing output volumes and raising wage levels. Speaking about the past five-year period, the region grew in investments by 7.6% under comparable conditions.
Industry today forms the main volume of budget revenues.
– You are one of the flagships of the Vitebsk region's industry, a high-tech production facility – you produce import-substituting and export-oriented products, – Anzhelika Nikitina addressed the enterprise's employees.
She added that new production facilities are opening in the territories adjacent to the enterprise, and the companies can be useful to each other, including in terms of cooperative interaction.
– Today we continue the company's development, which has been ongoing for the last 30 years. The plans include increasing the level of digitalization, automation of production, and the number of robots. We will keep up with the times and launch new types of products, helping our food and chemical product manufacturers to package and sell them, – noted Vladimir Lukyanov, Deputy General Director for Personnel and Development.
In conditions of fierce competition, the enterprise faces the task of maintaining its position in the Russian market, which is planned to be achieved by improving the quality of manufactured products. Plans for the current year also include expanding the list of Belarusian partners and entering new markets in the CIS countries and others.
Export of products, import substitution, investment projects, strong competencies, support programs for small and medium-sized businesses. An open dialogue allowed for discussing the entire list of current issues. Enterprise employees were interested in the development plans for Vitebsk Airport, transport links, etc.
Anzhelika Nikitina reported that a detailed development plan for the airport has been prepared. It is planned to attract funds from the Union State budget for its modernization.
The renovation of Ilya Repin's museum-estate "Zdravnevo" will be another project for which the region plans to receive funding from the Union budget. Both are intended to be implemented within the next five-year period.
As Anzhelika Nikitina noted, direct trains will soon run on the Vitebsk – Smolensk, Orsha – Smolensk routes – this project is also financed from the Union State budget.