OREANDA-NEWS. January 22, 2010. The number of innovative companies should exceed 25% in Belarus by the end of 2010, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky said during presenting the Quality Prize 2009 of the Government of the Republic of Belarus.

Sergei Sidorsky noted that 2010 is an important year as it is the final one in the five-year term of development of the Belarusian economy. The results of the five-year period will largely depend on 2010 results. It is necessary to spare no effort to meet all the targets in the economy and social area and to reach the pre-crisis economic growth rates.

No less than US2.7 billion worth of foreign direct investments should be attracted into Belarus’ economy in 2010, Prime Minister said. In 2010 the capital investments are projected to increase by 23% or 25%. “The investments should be attracted into competitive productions only. Every ruble of investments should generate 2 or 3 rubles of profits,” the Prime Minister added.

These investments along with the creation of new production facilities and technologies will help the country settle the problem of the foreign trade deficit. According to Sergei Sidorsky, every company should be interested in technical upgrading, increase of exports and reaching a trade surplus.

The Premier reminded that a state innovation development program of Belarus is due to be completed in 2010. Under the program, new products should account for 19% of all industrial goods and the number of innovative companies should exceed 25% by the end of 2010. “We will set up 67 new technologically advanced enterprises and 315 production facilities, upgrade 498 production facilities introducing over 700 state-of-the-art technologies,” Sergei Sidorsky said.

The preparation of the innovation development program of Belarus for 2011-2015 is nearing completion. In line with this document, the innovation development of Belarus should be made several times faster. “We should translate academic research into innovations at concrete enterprises,” the Premier said.

The priority efforts to enhance the quality and competitiveness of products and services are stipulated in the state program “Quality” for 2007-2010 and other documents. These efforts include enhancing the export potential of domestic producers, promoting resource and energy saving through technical rate-setting and standardization and efficient quality management, Sergei Sidorsky said.

Six technical regulations compliant with international standards have been developed and introduced in Belarus to improve the regulation producers and implement the new technical legislation. The development of technical regulations for foodstuffs, milk and dairy products, baby foods, wheeled vehicles, products of machine-building is nearing completion.

Thirteen new technical regulations are to be developed in 2010.

Sergei Sidorsky reminded that the leaders of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia signed documents to set up the Customs Union on 1 January 2010. The integration within the framework of the Customs Union will enable the country to trade freely and use its transit potential more efficiently. “The Customs Union is the basis for the future single economic territory which is to be set up by 1 January 2012,” Sergei Sidorsky reminded.

A range of international agreements on technical regulations are in effect in the EurAasEC and the Customs Union. “To make sure these agreements operate efficiently we need to develop supporting documents as soon as possible. More than 200 Belarusian specialists jointly with Russian and Kazakhstan partners are working on the new technical regulations which will make it possible to recognize the products made in the Customs Union as the products made in the single customs territory,” Sergei Sidorsky said.

“The policy pursued in Belarus is aimed to accelerate the promotion of domestic products on foreign markets; at the same time we should realize that the establishment of the Customs Union will toughen the competition. Belarusian products should be competitive in the Customs Union, because China will push its products in the southern part of the Customs Union,” the Belarusian Premier said.

The head of Government pointed out that this situation will benefit only those producers who constantly refresh their brands, offer better products at lower prices.

To stay competitive every company in Belarus should introduce ISO 9001 quality management systems, the Prime Minister said. By the end of 2010 at least 2,500 companies are expected to start applying the ISO 9001 systems. The main focus will be on the services industry: education, healthcare and hospitality business. Speaking about the hotel business the Prime Minister said that the hotel service should correspond to the highest standards. “We are doing a lot and we want this industry to return profits,” he said.

Prime Minister urged Belarusian companies to speed up the certification of products in compliance with EU requirements.

“Strict certification should be passed to remove technical barriers while supplying Belarusian foodstuffs to Europe,” the Premier said. In 2009 the European Commission carried out the first stage of assessment of products for the compliance with EU standards at four Belarusian enterprises of the food industry. “The enterprises should remove all the defects and enter the EU market as soon as possible,” Sergei Sidorsky said.

The Prime Minister informed that over 2,100 Belarusian products have been recognized as compliant with the EU directives, many companies were granted the right to put a CE-mark on their products.

According to Sergei Sidorsky, Belarus possesses a considerable potential of producing quality and safe products.