On 5 May, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko held a meeting with the leadership of the Council of Ministers. The focus was on financial issues related to the development of the cement industry, Svetlogorsk Pulp and Cardboard Mill, and Orsha Meat Canning Plant along with its raw material zone under the management of Agrokombinat Dzerzhinsky.

One way or another, all of the issues listed involved requests for support, financial concessions, and debt restructuring. The head of state noted that this approach was inherently wrong and that this trend alarmed him.

«My fear is that the government might adopt such a course, if it hasn’t already. This urge to always help someone, to write something off... Maybe some do need help, but only if the state needs it. We must ensure this doesn’t become the new normal,» the Belarusian leader demanded. «I understand what you are proposing, but I have always emphasized: we must make the executives work. If you’ve taken the job, get it done,» the Belarusian leader stressed. 

Following the meeting, journalists asked Aleksandr Turchin whether such an approach meant that «the government is too soft.»

«The government is certainly not soft. The government strives to be objective. We submit proposals to the president only when we are convinced that there are no other options left but to implement such measures,» noted Aleksandr Turchin.

Speaking about the subject of the meeting, the prime minister explained that the documents submitted for the head of state’s consideration did not require additional allocation of funds. «The world is changing rapidly. Situations arise that demand prompt intervention and response. For the government, the main task is the effective functioning of the economy. And the performance of the economy consists, in part, of the performance of individual enterprises,» stated the head of government.