Republic

MINSK, 17 January (BelTA) - President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has questioned the need for the development and adoption of certain programs and concepts, including the program “Youth of Belarus” for 2011-2015. The head of state made this statement at a meeting on the national program “Youth of Belarus” for 2011-2015, BelTA has learnt. The draft program “Youth of Belarus” for the next five years has been submitted for consideration, said the president. “I brought this issue for discussion not to give it importance. Basically I am questioning the need for development of concepts, programs and other unnecessary and empty documents in the future,” Alexander Lukashenko said. “The question is: why do we need this program? Do we have something missing, or we do not know how to work with youth, or there is something we have not defined in our youth policy, or we do not have enough organizations to work with young people? Or does the five-year program which we have adopted does not define, conceptually and substantively, the youth policy? In my opinion these are purely rhetorical questions,” said the president. Alexander Lukashenko stressed that “everything has been determined. The budget has been estimated. We also know who will be in charge of the youth policy in the government and local authorities.” In this regard, the head of state asked the logical question: “Why do we need this program? Do we need another document which we will put on the shelf and will show from time to time to prove that the work with youth goes well? Or this program is vitally important?” The president emphasized that a great many programs and concepts had already been worked out. “Maybe in the past we did not know how to act, we collected information, defined our further steps, did brainstorming for some particular activity. But today everything is clear. Therefore a question arises whether we need this program or not. What novelties does it have comparing with what we have in practice today?” he said. “We do not need more programs, more concepts. We need programs and concepts only when we start something new in order to draw up a concrete action plan. Otherwise we just simply pretend we are working hard by developing unnecessary programs. This is my compelling stand,” the president stressed. Alexander Lukashenko said he had already turned down several programs worked out by some creative teams who received millions of rubles on their development. “We need no teams to write the commonplace truth and spend money on it. We’d better spend money on young people, families, children and veterans,” the head of state noted. “I will tolerate no more formalism starting from January. We should start working with the youth directly,” the Belarusian leader said. Alexander Lukashenko added he is not sure if the country needs this program at all.

БЕЛТА