OREANDA-NEWS. On 03 February 2009 was announced, that Belarus had been creating workgroups at the level of the government and region administrations to help the companies that have changed to part-time employment, Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Kobyakov told reporters.

He admitted that there were problems with underemployment at some companies.

“It is a means to help our producers, but the premier slammed those who were reducing workweeks “tacitly”. We cannot do it without prior declaration, and executives will be punished for non-compliance. If it is a coercive measure, the authors of the decision must understand what other measures they have at hand to help the situation,” Kobyakov said.

He said workgroups were created in order to provide measures of state support.

“But the principle remains unchanged: there will be no mass dismissals. We have a socially-driven economy, and we must support people even if profits fall,” Kobyakov said.

He said the government had developed a program to back 166 largest producers.

“The work of each one of them is under control, because they account for 56% of Belarus’ industrial output. We have used the experience of Russia, Kazakhstan and other CIS countries – there are 52 measures to encourage sales, secure enough loan resources and support the commodity distribution network, streamline costs and provide state support,” Kobyakov said.

He specified that the state budget may provide funds to pay interests on loans that large producers take out; the government may offer preferential gas and power fees, exempt some of the importer from duties, etc.