Lukashenko demands level playing field for private business, state enterprises

Private and state enterprises should be treated equally, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at a meeting to discuss the new price regulation system on 28 February, BelTA learned.

The head of state said that before the meeting he had received a large package of documents, but it was not clear whether the government submitted an interim or final proposal. 

“Every day I asked Snopkov about this. Golovchenko said that this it was your main exam. People are watching us, they support us. We were all excited about the support we received in the last election. People have faith in us,” the president said. “Meanwhile, everyone in the government is inventing their own formulas and has their own ideas. The president has set a task and set a framework for you which you should stick to. After all we have a dictatorship. And this dictatorship is supported by the people. Get down to work!”

"There should be no harsh regulatory methods that could harm the economy. We should not excessively restrain producer prices. There should be proper profitability. Expenses must be reduced," Aleksandr Lukashenko stated.

He emphasized that expenses, such as purchasing new cars, should not be included in the cost of production, in other words, customers should not have to pay for such expenses. "If only it were about cars. Everyone comes and complains about the terms and conditions. We must put everyone on an equal footing: the country comes first," the president stressed. 

The head of state also shared proposals from private business: "Let's put strict restrictions on state-owned enterprises, and let private ones operate based on supply and demand. Earlier they asked me to put all enterprises on an equal footing. But now they do not like this: they want complete freedom, no regulations, and strict restrictions for state-owned enterprises. So what does private business really want? In the interests of the people, the requirements towards private companies should be as strict as towards state-owned ones," Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed.

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