OREANDA-NEWS. State-owned Belarusian company OAO Belaruskali (based in Soligorsk, Minsk Region) starts outsourcing maintenance services and auxiliary operations in order to cut production costs, a company representative told.

Belaruskali is currently developing a plan to optimize the number of affiliated providers of maintenance services. Outsourcing has been chosen as a cost cutting solution to facilitate potash sales at competitive prices.

Outsourcing is part of the solution. Belaruskali plans to further reduce the cost of potash production by means of upgrading production facilities, increasing labour output and energy saving.

Outsourcing has already been chosen as a cost-cutting solution by a few production companies controlled by Belneftekhim. For instance, OAO Grodno AZOT transformed its affiliates into unitary companies AzotStroi (construction services), AzotRemStroi (maintenance), AzotSpetsTrans (transportation).

The state-owned Belarusian company OAO Belaruskali is one of the world's largest manufacturers of potash fertilizers, employing about 18,589 personnel. It operates the Starobinskoye potash salts deposit and comprises four mine groups, auxiliary shops and support units.

Belaruskali controls 16% of the world's potash fertilizer market.