OREANDA-NEWS. September 12, 2014. Rented homes should be made available on the basis of justice and reasonable prices. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko made the statement as he heard out a report from Vice Prime Minister Anatoly Kalinin, Housing and Utilities Minister Andrei Shorets, and Minsk Mayor Nikolai Ladutko on the procedure for renting apartments in the residential estate Magistr.

The head of state reminded that the decision to authorize the construction of the residential estate had been made in order to give homes to scientific and creative intellectuals, particularly young ones. “We agreed that those would be rented apartments. They would not be cheap but then the prices would not be sky high like the prices young families pay for apartments rented from private owners. Rented homes have to be considerably cheaper,” remarked the President.

Alexander Lukashenko cautioned against making errors in pricing the rented homes in order to avoid having to revise the prices later on. He remarked that the final prices have to be finalized by the government and the Minsk City Hall.

The President also drew attention to the need to observe fairness and justice in distributing the apartments and putting people on the waiting list. “It is number one priority. I don’t want to hear complaints that someone gives these apartments secretly to someone else after giving that someone else certain jobs,” warned Alexander Lukashenko. “Creative and scientific intellectuals represent a very vocal part of the population. They will not stay silent. They will tell me right away if anything has been done unfairly. Therefore, if we have to make a waiting list, fairness and justice must be prioritized”.

“I’ve said my word. The president has decided in favor of rented apartments. New construction has started, the novelty will be introduced all over the country. Let’s get together and discuss some principles of payment, the formation of waiting lists, the allocation of homes and so on. And then you just have to keep me informed. Later on you have to carry on the job and bear the responsibility,” said Alexander Lukashenko.