Lukashenko: We'll Soon be Going to Shops like to Museums

November 10, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko at a meeting on the disposal of state assets has criticized the government's work. He believes that Belarusians can't live in the current economic climate.

"We'll soon be going to shops like to museums. Not us, but most people will come there to watch the market economy," said Alexander Lukashenko.

"I'm getting worried of our government work. I don't want to make any judgments but only say one thing that you are still be inferior to the previous government," BelTA quoted the President.

Alexander Lukashenko suggested the government "working directly at plants, not in their offices." "Then you will understand what the market is, how a peasant, a worker, and most of the intellectuals are living today," the President said.

The President noted that recent government's proposals "put the economy on a market footing" run counter to the plans set out in the All-Belarus People's Assembly, which, he said, is unacceptable.

Lukashenko: It's "crazy" to make government live in pure market

"If you do not agree with what I say, let's put all of you on a footing of the greater part of the population, which is far from being rich. You try to live in such conditions. Then you'll probably understand what pure market is and how we must act in this situation. This stray thought is increasingly coming to my mind," said Alexander Lukashenko.

Addressing to Prime Minister Mikhail Miasnikovich, Alexander Lukashenko said that a number of economic processes in the country wouldn't be put on a market footing.

"You are a man of experience. You have a couple of young, frisky guys in the government. But you know perfectly well that, especially in our situation, we had to and will have to persist in manual adjustment of some processes," stressed the President.

At the end of September President of Belarus sharply criticized Minsk City Executive Committee for red tape at a meeting on the implementation of investment projects in Minsk. According to the President, he had a desire to "lock the city hall in the evening and throw them all out of work in the morning, recruiting new staff of the executive committee." Under threat of dismissal the President instructed the Chairman of Minsk city executive committee Nikolai Ladutko to address all deficiencies in the work, as well as to monitor his assistants and deputies.