"Without bureaucracy and red tape." Lukashenko outlined a new format for private housing construction

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, during a working trip to the Minsk region, familiarized himself with approaches to the industrial construction of individual housing for citizens. At the same time, the main point was emphasized - everything must be done without red tape and unnecessary costs, BELTA correspondent reports.

Alexander Lukashenko visited the under-construction microdistrict of low-rise residential buildings "Novaya Okolitsa". "The theme of our event today is housing construction without bureaucracy and red tape," the President began his working trip with these words. "People complained that we build for a long time. And it's not even about the fact that we build some housing for a long time: to start construction, you have to go to officials, ask for some permits. Some complained about the Ministry of Emergency Situations, some about the police, and so on."

The head of state recalled that the first step was taken earlier - private developers were allowed to build as they wished. Just as single-story houses were once built in rural settlements, and people "didn't ask anyone how to build."

"Therefore, a decision was made: if you want to build, please do. You can not get permission from anyone at all. The only requirement is that the house looks reasonably normal and fits into the village. If you want to consult with the police, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, some architects - please, consult. It's your business. But you are responsible - you have a roof, a ceiling over your head," Alexander Lukashenko said. "Nothing has collapsed. People are building. But there are still some discussions. Something is still missing. But to some extent, they are right. We probably haven't finished something."

At the beginning of the year, Deputy Prime Minister Anatoly Sivak was instructed to build a settlement in Novaya Okolitsa on an area of almost 50 hectares. "And I told him: go and build in a businesslike manner, as you deem fit, make decisions. But I asked him that there should be concrete, not asphalt (access roads. - Editor's note BELTA) - this is forever. Without any frills. That is, the settlement should be built here intelligently. As people need it. Without unnecessary costs," the President stated.

The head of state paid special attention to the landscaping of the territory adjacent to the houses, along the roads and at interchanges. He gave specific instructions to do everything in a businesslike and economical manner. As for the territories near private houses, this is already up to the residents themselves, and they should be oriented towards this.

"One must approach everything with a sense of good housekeeping. And good housekeeping means saving millions and millions of rubles. Therefore, the goal and task for the Deputy Prime Minister (he makes the decision) was: however you decide, it should be done with good housekeeping," Alexander Lukashenko noted.

The Head of State positively assessed what he saw and inspected some houses. "Ideal," was the Head of State's assessment.

Deputy Prime Minister Anatoly Sivak remarked that a person who owns their own house and plot of land has a completely different standard of living.

"You are right, it's a different person. I always tell Belarusians: all the plots, patches of land in Belarus are a gift, a blessing. I always push them: buy them – in villages, remote, unpromising, abandoned ones. It's a gift for people. Let them have a piece of this land, it's almost free now. Russians heard about it and are now paying crazy money. Ours are so-so," said Alexander Lukashenko.

State enterprises are currently practically not working in the private housing construction market. And the New Okolitsa microdistrict project is an attempt to rectify the situation and reduce construction costs for people.

"This settlement is the first stage. 12 of our organizations are building houses here. In this situation, we are also testing certain technical solutions," Anatoly Sivak reported.

For example, one-way traffic is planned for the streets within the development, and freight and technical transport will move only along the outskirts of the territory. The houses already have water and sewage, and electric heating. The cost per square meter starts from Br2.4 thousand. "This is a completely finished house," the Deputy Prime Minister stated.

"We were instructed to create different types of houses so that people could choose," the President recalled.

During the construction, a number of bureaucratic obstacles were noted, which led to a higher final cost of the house. The Head of State was offered to make changes to the existing regulatory legal acts to eliminate these shortcomings. The President supported the proposal.

In addition, the government proposes to adopt incentive measures, including expanding preferential lending, to encourage people to buy houses in rural areas.

"Submit them so that we can adopt regulatory legal acts and start working in the near future," Alexander Lukashenko instructed.

A concept for housing construction for the next five-year period is currently being developed in Belarus. Anatoly Sivak believes that it is necessary to utilize existing infrastructure more. "We still have houses that require major repairs. They are in a critical condition. We could demolish a five-story Khrushchev-era building, the structure itself, and build on its foundation," he suggested.

"Submit your proposals. Consider it approved. This is precisely the approach of a responsible owner," the Head of State responded.

The President spoke about the construction of a new residential area near the village of Okolitsa in June of this year at a meeting with the government leadership. "In the Okolitsa area, we decided to build a village. The relevant directive was given to Deputy Prime Minister Anatoly Sivak. We will build according to his proposals or as he himself sketches it out 'in the sand'," Alexander Lukashenko emphasized. "We need to build a beautiful village quickly and efficiently. People will gladly live there and buy these plots."

The master plan for the development of the Novaya Okolitsa residential area, with a total area of 210 hectares, by incorporating new lands into the village of Okolitsa, is under development. The development of this territory has already begun on an area of 46 hectares, where it is planned to build 228 individual residential houses with engineering and transport infrastructure.

Currently, parallel design and construction of the first two phases are underway, which include 65 cottage-type houses and their engineering and transport infrastructure.

The contracting organizations for the construction of residential buildings are the house-building plants of Gomel, Soligorsk, Mogilev, and Minsk, as well as the enterprises "Brestzhilstroy," "Grodnozhilstroy," "Borisovzhilstroy," Newspaper Paper Plant, Krichev Reinforced Concrete Plant, "MinLesKhoz," and the Belarusian Cement Company.

The residential buildings vary in total area (from 86.9 sq. m to 139.8 sq. m) and wall construction (reinforced concrete panels, double timber, frame-panel, brick, aerated concrete blocks).

During the construction of the residential area, issues are being addressed to simplify and improve the efficiency of technical requirements for the construction of both infrastructure and houses in the residential development; to expand the range of residential houses in terms of quality, volume, and cost indicators; and to identify and resolve problems related to the low activity of industrial construction of individual housing.

Source: belta.by