Igor Sergeenko and parliamentarians from the Vitebsk region met with the region's active members
As Igor Sergeenko noted, this format of the event, involving legislators delegated by the region's residents and local authorities, is quite effective.
– It is important to exchange views, to discuss current issues of joint work between the executive branch and the deputy corps of the Vitebsk region, – emphasized the Chairman of the House of Representatives.
The parliamentarians' visit program included participation in a meeting of the regional executive committee, where issues of strengthening public safety and discipline were raised, a visit to LLC "Management Company of Holding "Belorusskaya Kozhevenno-Obuvnaya Kompaniya "Marko", familiarization with the "Vitebsk" Cultural Center, and a final discussion with the region's active members.
During the visit to the largest footwear enterprise, issues related to light industry enterprises were raised.
In particular, the founder of the "Marko" company, Nikolai Martynov, informed about the holding's performance in the current economic conditions. By the way, the company is as old as the institution of the president in our country – the "Marko" brand appeared in 1994. Over the past three decades, a small shoe factory has grown into a holding company comprising 6 enterprises. About 4,000 people work here. Annually, 3.5 million pairs of shoes are produced. The company operates 96 branded stores in Belarus and 45 in Russia. For the first ten months of the current year, the production volume growth rate was 119%, and exports increased. However, these figures could have been higher if not for a number of problems that genuinely hinder production development and impede successful competition in foreign markets.
Specifically, it concerns Government Decree No. 713, regarding price regulation and unequal conditions with Russian producers, who win competition due to differences in electricity prices.
Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee Anzhelika Nikitina emphasized that 25% of Belarus's light industry is located in the Vitebsk region. They are all energy-intensive, and a significant portion of their expenses is the payment for energy resources. If the cost of one kilowatt is reduced, the cost of production will be different, and the freed-up funds can be directed towards employee salaries and modernization.
– We are forced to buy equipment and some components from distant countries, which leads to payment problems and increased logistics costs, – explained Nikolai Martynov.
These issues, as noted by the speaker of the lower house of parliament, require resolution at both the legislative and governmental levels.
Igor Sergeenko visited the workshops, familiarized himself with the specifics of the technological process, and communicated with the work collective.
The Chairman of the House of Representatives focused on the social orientation of our state's policy.
Enterprise employees were interested in which laws are most difficult for deputies to adopt, whether it is possible to visit the House of Government on an excursion, and which achievements of our country the speaker considers the most significant.
– Preservation of Belarus's independence. We managed to preserve the economy that was collapsing under the rubble of the Union, and today we can say that our country is strong and economically developed, – noted Igor Sergeenko.
The people's elected officials familiarized themselves with the reconstruction of the Vitebsk Concert Hall, attended rehearsals of some groups, and then gathered in the round hall of the cultural institution to summarize the results of the working trip with the region's active members and outline the main areas of activity.
“We considered socio-political, social, and legislative issues, and work with citizens' appeals. The emphasis is placed on the importance of joint actions by deputies and the executive authorities. Deputies represent the interests of the population; each represents 50-60 thousand voters. This meeting is a kind of time check after ten months of work by the people's elected officials,” noted Igor Sergeenko.
The speaker added that all 14 deputies elected from the Vitebsk region are actively working in parliament on both draft laws and in the regions, showing initiative, and gaining experience in public activities. In September of this year, the second session opened; during the past period, 21 draft laws were adopted, including a draft of the new version of the law on veterans, which provides for additional social benefits and guarantees for participants of the Great Patriotic War, former prisoners of fascism, and internationalist soldiers who took part in combat operations outside Belarus. Amendments were made to the Education Code, and a draft law on state registration of real estate was adopted. The budget for 2025 will be considered in the near future.
One of the main areas of interaction between the corps of deputies and local authorities is work with citizens' appeals. Recently, their number has increased, which indicates that people trust the deputies. It is important that this work is carried out systematically and conscientiously, emphasized Igor Sergeenko. After all, parliamentarians are evaluated by the people who cast their votes for their representatives.