OREANDA-NEWS. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko praised a good dynamics in the social and economic development of Minsk Oblast which became a leader in the social and economic development in 2011-2015. The head of state made the statement on 15 June as he heard out a report of Chairman of the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee Semyon Shapiro.

“It was a pleasant surprise for me that Minsk Oblast was a leader in 2011-2015,” the President said and expressed hope that this good dynamics will be preserved.

The head of state remarked that he had very good impressions after flying over a number of Minsk Oblast regions. “You have done a good job. But do not forget that you still need to solve problems in a number of regions. It is essential to improve agriculture and other sectors there,” Alexander Lukashenko noted.

We need to give a new lease of life to abandoned children’s summer camps and recreation facilities in Minsk Oblast, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko told Semyon Shapiro. “There are lots of them. Six or nine territories located near my residence are in bad condition. You should pay close attention to them,” the President instructed.

Punitive sanctions should be put on hold for one year for a number of investors, who have not been able to finish construction projects on time due to objective reasons, the Belarusian President said. Alexander Lukashenko said: “I am ready to look into the violation of construction contracts by investors. But I don’t want us to make a habit of dropping sanctions for defaulted obligations. Because we would once again get a massive amount of unfinished construction like that. If they promise something, they’d better stay on schedule. But if objective reasons are at play, then we should definitely support investors, particularly now.”

Another matter concerning the failure of investors to honor their commitments was mentioned during the meeting. Alexander Lukashenko told Semyon Shapiro: “In the past we handed over business assets to investors such as agricultural enterprises. Some projects did not pan out. Now after buying the assets for a cheap price the investors are starting to resell them at triple prices, at the so-called market price. In addition to suppressing this practice we need to take measures to reacquire everything. I absolutely support you on this.”