Joint meeting of the Presidium of the Regional Executive Committee and the Regional Council of Deputies: results of the current year and plans for the future were discussed
This was discussed at a joint meeting of the regional executive committee and the presidium of the regional Council of Deputies, dedicated to discussing the preliminary results of 2019 and plans for 2020. As noted by Anzhelika Nikitina, Chairperson of the Economy Committee of the Regional Executive Committee, the necessary conditions for ensuring sustainable development have been created in the region today. As a consequence, the registered unemployment rate is below the maximum permissible value, and the labor market tension coefficient is decreasing. The wage level and budget revenues are growing, and the consumer price index does not exceed the threshold values and the national average.
Nevertheless, the contribution of city and district executive committees to fulfilling the regional "harvest" of forecast indicators varies. For example, under identical operating conditions, the Beshenkovichi district fully meets the task matrix, mobilizing the vertical of power to achieve specific results, while the Dokshitsky district meets four out of five indicators, and only one indicator is met in eight districts. Moreover, within the framework of the five-year plans, there is not a single district that fulfills the target for all forecast indicators.
Therefore, the Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, Nikolai Sherstnev, demanded that local leaders in 2020 organize their work not only to find additional development opportunities, acting thoughtfully and unconventionally, but also to maximally involve available reserves in the progressive movement forward. The main ones remain increasing production efficiency, and increasing the volume of production and sales.
— Without production, the budget will not be filled, and consequently, the improvement of the social sphere, without which it is impossible to ensure a favorable demographic situation, will be slowed down. Therefore, I instruct the committee of economics to bring to each district such forecast indicators for 2020 that will compensate for the lag incurred in previous years, — said Nikolay Sherstnev.
In addition, among the untapped sources of growth are the elimination of debts to the local budget, the involvement of idle real estate in circulation and the intensification of land sales, and increasing the efficiency of resource expenditure, including by optimizing the structure of state support recipients. The head of the region urged the leadership of the districts to seriously engage in the fight for grants from various European funds and structures — this is a potential source for the implementation of infrastructure and social projects in the regions.
To further motivate the vertical of power to search for and implement growth reserves, the chairman of the regional executive committee decided to reserve about 15% of the revenue part of the regional budget. These funds are intended to be directed towards capital expenditures for projects that lay the foundation for long-term development. At the same time, it will be up to the local authorities to solve the problem of expanding the revenue base of local budgets precisely through untapped sources.
— By the end of the year, each indicator of socio-economic development must be analyzed in the regions, mistakes must be corrected, and opportunities to improve the situation must be identified. Do not forget that our main reserve is an effective economy, — Nikolay Sherstnev reminded the leaders.
According to Anzhelika Nikitina, the greatest economic growth is ensured by the production and supply of innovative products with high added value to foreign markets. At the same time, raw material exports, which have almost doubled in the last three years and account for more than 60% of the regional indicator, should become a thing of the past. In 2019, one-third of the products shipped abroad by Vitebsk region enterprises were high-tech, and the geography of their supplies has expanded to 56 countries.
Another important reserve for economic development and increased efficiency, budget replenishment, and improved well-being of the region's residents is small and medium-sized businesses. In the Vitebsk region, revenues from taxpayers in this sector in 2019 increased by 25% compared to the same period in 2018. In general, the trend of growth in the number of small businesses is maintained. However, the number of legal entities registered is equal to the number liquidated, and this is the responsibility of local authorities, who should create conditions for awakening and realizing the entrepreneurial initiative of citizens. Small business is a reliable source of additional jobs, but currently, for the first time in the years of the current five-year plan, the Vitebsk region is not fulfilling the target for citizen employment through the creation of new industries and enterprises, Anzhelika Nikitina recalled.
Presidential Aide – Inspector for the Vitebsk Region Anatoly Linevich drew attention to the situation in the machine-tool industry, whose enterprises once formed an attractive image for the region, but today require increased attention and non-standard management solutions. Anzhelika Nikitina explained that for this purpose, it is necessary to individually address each organization and, having studied their problems and capabilities, develop approaches for creating a unified industry management system at the regional level in the future.
By the end of the year, managers should finalize the lists of promising investment projects to ensure the fulfillment of the increased socio-economic development forecast indicators for 2020. Growth rates are to be ensured: industrial production – 107.6%, agricultural products – 111%, retail trade turnover – 105.5%, construction and installation works – 115.7%, fixed capital investments – 114.4%. These are real tasks, and only in this way is it possible to ensure the fulfillment of the five-year development plans, stated Anzhelika Nikitina.