Lukashenka’s Another Delusional Idea
- 7.01.2024, 18:11
State-owned companies are in trouble.
On December 29, Lukashenkaа visited The First National Trading House, it’s a mall in Minsk. In the shopping center, branded stores of Belarusian companies were opened: Pinskdrev, Babruisk Slavianka, Domochay Bakery and Confectionery Company, etc.
Lukashenka was satisfied with what he saw (of course, this is his idea).
"In this regard, we need to start such construction not only in Belarus but also in Russia. In St. Petersburg, it’s a good idea to build such a place and deliver the goods there? In Moscow, Smolensk, Bryansk, Pskov... Nearby. And we could place our goods there and sell them," the head of the country said.
The UDF website explains why this idea is utopian.
How did the idea to create The First National Trading House come about?
The mall was opened on the site of long-term construction: for many years the company with Iranian capital tried to build the Magnit Minsk area – with a hotel, shopping and business centers. Lukashenka took it away from the Iranians due to the lack of funding for long-term construction and began to think about how to use it.
That is, The First National Trading House arose not because of its need and demand in the market, but because the selected areas had to be occupied somehow. By the way, the authorities did not come up with anything better than to equip... rental apartments for the military on the upper floors of the complex. So the modern building on Nezalezhnasti Avenue acquired the appearance of a dull dormitory.
What is wrong with the plans to build new "trading houses"?
Recall that the idea of creating a shopping center with branded stores of Belarusian enterprises has already been implemented earlier – based on the Stalitsa mall. And something is not heard about large profits after reformatting it. At whose expense was The First National Trading House created?
"The governors have chipped in there, and we will help with something," Lukashenka said.
That is, the idea was implemented at the expense of the budget. It turns out that Belarusian enterprises themselves did not see this as an urgent need. And it is unlikely that they are happy with the idea of opening Belarusian trading houses in Russia at their expense.
The "great economist" Lukashenka believes that "we give some scams (intermediaries – UDF) for half the price and they sell our goods in Russia", not understanding at all what costs enterprises will face if they are engaged not only in production but also in the retention of retail outlets on their own. If it was so profitable, maybe the enterprises themselves came up with such an idea.
Lukashenka continues to gush with ideas that few people need and can only bring losses, to the detriment of the Belarusian economy. For example, the head of the country even now demands to build a railway to the Minsk airport – although due to the sanctions it is loaded at a minimum.
And a couple of years ago, due to Lukashenka's demand, a farmer's market was built outside Minsk in Valeryanovo, a "competitor of Kamarouka". Visitors, of course, did not pour into it – because of the logistics and the high cost of products. The market is called "elite" even in the media.