News & Events in Belarus

Lukashenko wants development strategy for Gomselmash

VETKA DISTRICT, 25 July (BelTA) – Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko instructed to work out a development strategy for the Belarusian agricultural machinery company Gomselmash as he visited the manufacturing workshop Novoselki of the poultry farm at the Belorusneft-Osobino company on 25 July, BelTA has learned.

“As for Gomselmash, I instruct Turchin [First Deputy Prime Minister] to get involved and sort things out. Gomselmash has always been important for the country. Some 20-25 years ago they tried to persuade me that we did not need harvesters and that Gomselmash needed to be sold. Today we can see that this is a good school. Today we will see a new harvester developed within the past year or two. This is a good team of scientists, designers. We cannot destroy this school. We need this equipment,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed.

According to the president, it is necessary to secure the company’s profitable work as soon as possible: “We need Gomselmash back in the black next year.”

Belarus' First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Turchin told the head of state that the company is going through a financial audit and is gradually reducing its backlogs. Different concepts for Gomselmash development are under consideration. “We will need to discuss the development strategy with you later,” he added.

“No problem. Let’s discuss it. I have already told you that this company needs young people in its management,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

The development prospects of the company were also discussed during a visit to the Raduga-Agro farm where the president met with Gomselmash Director General Aleksandr Novikov.

“The company staff is ready to work. The only issue is floating assets,” the Gomselmash head said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed that the government can provide some assistance to the company. “If you sell some hundred harvesters tomorrow and contribute something to the bank or to the budget, we will provide you with funds. We will not let anyone destroy Gomselmash. Gomselmash, MAZ, BelAZ, Amkodor, and other companies, including private firms, are all Belarusian major brands. They must produce results,” he said.

In the field the president got acquainted with the progress in the harvest and with the new gas-fueled tracked and semi-tracked harvester by Gomselmash. The head of state talked to the machine operators and asked about advantages and disadvantages of the new machine. Aleksandr Lukashenko was told that it does not yield in terms of technical characteristics and power capacities to regular machines of the same environmental class. Yet it is more expensive, by about 30%.

The president asked whether it is possible to reduce production costs. The company is working on this, his interlocutors said. More so, when the harvester goes into mass production, the price will definitely go down.

Alexander Lukashenko saw the new harvester back in August of last year as he visited Gomselmash. This machine is slightly more expensive in comparison with traditional analogues but allows saving on fuel costs, on average by half. Designers believe that the new harvester will find its customers in the Russian market. In addition, it is environmentally friendlier.

Back then Aleksandr Lukashenko took interest in the new farm machine and asked to make several harvesters by the following harvest campaign to test them in the field.

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