The State Control Committee has proposed introducing administrative liability for the inefficient use of budget funds, but the government does not support the measure. The statement was made by Vasili Herasimau, Chairman of the State Control Committee, at an event attended by Aliaksandr Lukashenka.
“The Committee has for several years proposed introducing administrative liability for the inefficient use of budget funds. The government objects, citing possible difficulties in its application,” Herasimau said, as reported by BelTA.
He also pointed to other problems, in particular the artificial inflation of export figures.
“The potential of commodity distribution networks abroad is not being fully utilised. At times, cases are identified where, to create the appearance of export activity, products are shipped without payment to warehouses in Russia, after which debts for equipment remain unpaid for years,” he noted.
According to him, business plans of a number of enterprises are based on a “low base of 2025,” while at the same time providing for further reductions in production, exports and profits, even as the salaries of managers at such enterprises increase.
He recalled that equipment is often leased even though it would be cheaper to purchase it. The State Control Committee has cancelled procurements of expensive fountains and designers’ services. Investment projects have been poorly calculated.
“We are not counting the money. Insufficient preparation of investment projects leads to additional costs, and sluggishness results in the loss of their relevance,” he said.
Herasimau also expressed concerns about the quality of projects under the “One District — One Project” programme.
“The main thing is that there is no groundwork for the future. There are few quality proposals for potential investors,” he stressed.
In agriculture, the Committee identified mismanagement and negligence, as well as violations of technical regulations. A number of agricultural organisations were not supplied with fertilisers, and this year the pace of accumulation of mineral fertilisers is lower than last year. Centralised procurement for certain items has not been ensured, leading to significant overpayments. In addition, inspectors often note the low readiness of agricultural machinery and problems with organising repairs.
“And where is the patronage that the head of state spoke about? Formalism. With rare exceptions, systematic work has not been established. The instruction on patronage assistance has not been fulfilled,” he added.
The Committee has also raised questions regarding the construction of 60 dairy farming complexes.
“By 2030, the country plans to build 60 dairy farming complexes. Will we be able to provide them with highly productive livestock? Work to improve the effectiveness of state support for agricultural producers has effectively not begun. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food has not developed approaches. Regional executive committees are not involved in the process,” he said.