OREANDA-NEWS. Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko has urged the government to make sure Belarus receives adequate export proceeds from commodities shipped to overseas customers in the framework of the efforts to resolve the overstocking problem at Belarusian manufacturing companies.

“I would like the Prime Minister to keep it in mind and ministers and heads of companies even more so. All these lies regarding the reduction of the warehouse stock the way it looks now - some has been transported to Lithuania or Russia or somewhere else, no money has been earned but tractors, automobiles are just stored over there in warehouses of dealers… Let me tell you publicly that someone will face prison time for it,” stated the President. “Did you forget what [former MAZ Director General Alexander] Borovsky had to do to clean up the mess? Several tens of millions of dollars was lost like that”.

“I don't understand who you are trying to deceive. I have enough people to analyze things and report them to me. Rudyi alone [Aide to the President Kirill] will be enough to do the job to visit enterprises, demand reports as an aide to the president, examine the state of affairs and report what is going on to me,” said the head of state.

“I am going to forward the relevant documents to you today. You just read and see what members of the government and heads of enterprises are up to. If you said you will get merchandise sold, then do so. You sketched out the schedule yourselves. We have promises of [First Vice Premier of Belarus Vladimir] Semashko and ministers on record. You can listen to excerpts and then give me answers,” noted the Belarusian leader.

“Getting money into the country is the most important thing instead of transporting merchandise abroad and dumping it over there. Sell it wherever you like but the country has to earn money. I want you to turn attention to the quality of the work of your enterprises,” concluded Alexander Lukashenko.

Lukashenko has warned the government against “strangling” people with utility tariffs. “Instead of raising tariffs and prices by 40% at one go, you should act slowly raising tariffs by 2-3% at a time,” said Lukashenko.