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Lukashenko warns against burying important investment projects in red tape

MINSK, 24 July (BelTA) - Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko urged not to drown important investment projects in red tape as he spoke at a government meeting to discuss ways to accelerate work on key investment projects with foreign countries on 24 July, BelTA has learned.

The head of state noted that the implementation of investment projects abroad is not moving as quickly as required and outlined the obstacles hindering its acceleration.

“It is important to understand what is holding us back. First, our own internal sluggishness, lack of discipline, and red tape. We create far-fetched problems for ourselves and then heroically battle them for months,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.

It often goes like this: the president makes a decision, and all that’s left is to put it on paper. But then months are wasted trying to prepare a single-page document for his signature.”

One example is the story of the new pulp mill project in Vitebsk Oblast. “It turns out that two presidential decrees are needed: the first to literally clear the construction site of old investors, and the second to launch the new investment project. Whether it’s two or one, just submit it. Officials have been going around in circles for months now, and the project is not moving forward,” the president said.

Although a high-level agreement was reached some time ago, the project is still caught up in red tape. “I ask that for all investment projects under discussion, we clearly pinpoint where the genuine problems are and where the bureaucratic foot-dragging is on our side,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed.

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