English

Lukashenka dismisses light industry officials, issues «final warning» to government

Alyaksandr Lukashenka has dismissed the head and the deputy head of the Belarusian State Light Industry Concern (Bellehpram) and the director general of worsted cloth company AAT Kamvol and issued "the final warning" to Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich and First Deputy Prime Minister Uladzimir Syamashka.

While inspecting the facilities of Kamvol on Monday, the Belarusian leader blamed Mr. Syamashka, who accompanied him, and Mr. Myasnikovich for poor working conditions for the company`s staff. "This is the final alarm bell," Mr. Lukashenka said. "We don`t need your excuses! I haven`t come here for excuses. I know well what is going on at Kamvol."

Mr. Lukashenka described what he had seen at Kamvol as "criminal negligence." "How come [they have] broken window panes and women working?" he said. "Why, [Mikalay] Ladutska [head of the Minsk City Executive Committee], Syamashka and Myasnikovich walked here. This is a crime! And it is punishable."

He ordered the dismissal of Bellehpram head Henadz Vyrko and deputy head Andrey Mytnik, a former head of Kamvol.

The Belarusian leader tore into Mr. Mytnik, accusing him of ruining Kamvol and Mr. Vyrko of making him deputy head of Bellehpram.

"Did you [Mr. Mytnik] run the enterprise into the ground?" Mr. Lukashenka said. "Do you know what is said about you in your conglomerate? Why was he brought here? After all, he doesn`t make any decisions! None! And he gets in the way of others. His hands tremble, he is afraid of everyone and he even tells his subordinately not to come. `Don`t bother [me], don`t come.` He doesn`t even read documents, he asks his subordinates, `Please, put a tick where I should read.` Do you know this?"

Mr. Lukashenka directed that Kamvol`s director general, Svyatlana Stryzhak, "get the sack by the evening" and announced that chief engineer Viktar Hawrylenka would be her successor. He described the promotion as an opportunity to revive the company. "If you fail, I`ll put you in prison," he warned. "I`m sorry for talking like that, but there`s no choice. But I don`t want you to be in prison. I need you here as director and you should build up this enterprise and decide as a good manager how to modernize it." //BelaPAN