Business news

TUROV, 27 April (BelTA) – Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko gave an instruction to check all milk processing companies in the country for compliance with three criteria as he visited Turov Dairy Industrial Complex during his working trip to Zhitkovichi District on 27 April, BelTA has learned.

According to the head of state, milk producers should supply raw materials to successful milk processing plants, in the first place. This will increase their workload, and the government budget will get additional revenue in the form of taxes.

“This is the kind of policy we want instead of clinging to less efficient enterprises for more than 20 years,” Alexander Lukashenko noted.

The president gave three criteria to analyze all milk processing plants: the salaries, the cost of raw materials, and their contribution to the budget. Inefficient companies must be closed or upgraded for the deep processing of milk.

Turov Dairy Industrial Complex is quite a successful enterprise, Alexander Lukashenko stressed. However, sometimes it does not receive raw materials from regional farms. The local authorities are better off supplying raw materials to the plants with a higher tax rate. “I am not ready for any conclusions so far. I ask you to get things straight and tell me whether anyone wastes raw materials at low-performing companies," Alexander Lukashenko warned.

The president was briefed on the fulfillment of his instructions to increase the milk processing capacity and make high value-added products using cutting-edge technologies in Belarus, in general, and in Gomel Oblast and at the Turov-based plant, in particular.

The head of state was also told about an innovative project to install a second line and got informed about its technical characteristics, financial situation and development prospects. Alexander Lukashenko visited some workshops, learned more about high-technology milk processing technologies, the current lineup of products and those to be made in the future.

According to Olga Lutsko, the director of Turov Dairy Industrial Complex, the company processes 400 tonnes of milk a day and exports products to 12 markets, including the CIS, the UAE, Jordan, Singapore, and China. “We installed a second line in late January, which will help us process up to 750 tonnes of milk a day,” Olga Lutsko remarked.

The industrial complex has 340 employees, among them residents of Turov and Zhitkovichi District, and also guest specialists from across the country. The company plans to create 90 new jobs in 2018. The actual average salary in Q1 2018 made up Br1,097. It is expected to grow to Br1,270 by the year-end.