On March 1, Decree No. 74 "On strengthening the role of chairmen of basic-level executive committees in regional development" comes into force. It is about expanding the powers of the chairmen of the basic-level executive committees and strengthening their responsibility for the state of affairs in the region. Of course, all measures initiated by this document are first of all aimed at improving efficiency within the implementation of the Year of Improvement and the fulfillment of the objectives of the announced five-year quality plan (2025-2029).
Therefore, increasing the influence of the heads of local executive committees primarily concerns the removal of bureaucratic barriers in areas that have been requiring order restoration for years. This will shortcut from making a decision to its implementation. In addition, the new approach will help save local budgets. Simplifying and, most importantly, making it cheaper to eliminate emergency buildings is a good incentive to launch large-scale work in this direction. For the Grodno region, this process is especially relevant in rural areas, as there is a high soil fertility score, and the return of land to agricultural use will have a tangible economic effect.
Now about the right of the executive authorities to involve citizens, employees of organizations and representatives of the business community in the improvement of territories. We see here not only the solution of issues related to restoring order. This is a serious step towards strengthening civil society in the regions. The involvement of representatives of different spheres and communities in a single creative process forms their common understanding of goals and ways to achieve them. We are moving towards such a consolidated society, capable of self-mobilisation in order to solve our own needs, in accordance with the Basic Law of our country.
As for the participation of regional leaders in the formation of top management of organizations of various forms of ownership and the right to generate direct orders, this moment aroused the most lively interest and a large number of interpretations. Let me remind you that this extension of powers is being introduced amid the increased responsibility of chairmen of regional executive committees: the Decree provides for personal responsibility for all such decisions and regulations. This is a serious deterrent.
Now about the non-obvious. Today, local authorities at the basic level are faced with the task of forming an up-to-date portfolio of promising investment projects that would guarantee accelerated economic development in the regions. The well-being of people and, as a result, the future of the Belarusian countryside depends on how effectively the government works in this direction. Meeting such challenges requires a direct dialogue between the district administrations and business. The readiness of its participants to meet each other's interests will be a catalyst for mutually beneficial cooperation. In order to draw up a work plan for at least five years, the leadership of districts and city administrations must be confident in the inviolability of the agreements reached now — and this is already a zone of personal qualities and competencies. Government representatives now have mechanisms to influence this factor, and that's a good thing.
Optimization of the system of bureaucratic procedures will be a kind of compensation for building vertical links between representatives of local authorities and the business community. This means simplifying the implementation of new business ideas, adding new preferences to the list, working together to find new labor resources, and much more. In simple terms, sometimes a banal mutual understanding is not enough for normal fruitful work. The new decree provides opportunities for his successful search.