Vitebsk hosts a business forum "Government and Business: partnership for sustainable development"
A business forum "Government and Business: Partnership for sustainable development" is being held in Vitebsk as part of the Belarusian Entrepreneurship Week.
– One of the goals of sustainable development is partnership between business and the state. The share of investments – 35% – forms the business sector. Our business is focused on export orientation and import substitution. So, today more than 90 import substitution projects are being implemented, including in cooperation with Russia. The share of exports of small and medium–sized businesses is 80%, in the service sector - 65%. Small and medium–sized businesses form a third of budget revenues," said Deputy Chairman of the regional Executive Committee Angelika Nikitina. – More active entrepreneurs in small regions. They strive to occupy themselves, to involve their children, neighbors, colleagues, etc. in this process. If today Polotsk, Orsha, Vitebsk, Novopolotsk is the formation of a large business that grows on the business development programs implemented within the framework of the entrepreneurship development program, then the business of the service sector is actively developing in Dubrovno, Chashniki, Rossony, Ushachi and other small cities.
The forum is attended not only by representatives of large businesses, but also by schools, universities, colleges, small and micro businesses, the Belarusian Union of Women, and individual entrepreneurs.
– Today, people are involved in business not only from school, but also from kindergarten. Schools are positioning the idea of developing this area through the sale of their products, club centers, etc. There are quite interesting projects that are relevant for the region, given the tourist potential, opportunities in the development of light industry," Angelika Nikitina added.
At the plenary session, Deputy Chairman of the Economics Committee of the regional Executive Committee Elena Borzdyko spoke about the strategy for sustainable development of the Vitebsk region until 2040.
– We see the future of technology in harmony with nature. The strategy is based on the implementation of the path of the main priorities, the main one of which is the person in whose interests we will solve the tasks set. In the real sector of the economy, it is the creation of high–tech industries, including using raw materials, providing a decent level of salary based on education received here. This, of course, is the formation of an environment for the growth of entrepreneurial and innovative activity," said Elena Borzdyko. – For the sustainable development of the regions, areas with a population of over 80 thousand will develop both industrial sites and create new production facilities. By the end of the five–year plan, 30 production facilities will be created within the framework of the "One Region - One Project" initiative. These are mainly food, light industry, and tourism.
In agriculture, the prospect lies behind the introduction of digitalization, automation, the creation of new livestock facilities, the use of new technologies in crop production, which will save personnel in rural areas, and the development of infrastructure and housing construction in cities and villages of the future – to create conditions for their living. Among the positive examples is a digital precision farming platform operating in Mazolovogaz Vitebsk region.
– The development of tourism with the active involvement of small and medium-sized businesses and the population will give rural areas a second life. All the conditions are available for this," said Elena Borzdyko.
The priority direction of industrial development is innovation, automation, robotization, and digitalization of all processes. As an example, in the light industry, there is a project to introduce robotic complexes at Belvest. Vitebsk Carpets OJSC and Orsha Flax Processing Plant are actively implementing digitalization. There is a prospect for the development of mechanical engineering, where 48 enterprises in close cooperation with Russian manufacturers and our giants produce more than 4.5 thousand items of equipment and components. The flagship here is Vitstroytechmash. The strategy also focuses on the development of electric transport and energy infrastructure.
– Taking into account the competencies, we rely on the development of pharmaceutical and biotechnologies. Our region has a wonderful educational and scientific base with high-tech production facilities for the production of medical and veterinary drugs. Over the past five years, Vitebsk region has doubled the volume of production in this industry. The production of more than 600 names of drugs has been mastered," said Elena Borzdyko. – The developed approaches to the development of agriculture will make it possible to fully load the production capacities of food industry enterprises and process more than a million tons of milk and 60 thousand tons of milk. tons of meat per year, as well as to increase the export potential in this area. In addition, one of the important industries is woodworking. At the government level, the implementation of a major project for the production of products with high added value and with wood processing volumes of at least one million cubic meters per year is being worked out.
Also, the awarding of small and medium-sized businesses of the Vitebsk region took place within the framework of the forum.
Photo by Dmitry OSIPOV.
