Miory Regional Executive Committee

An investment program for the Vitebsk Region for 2024 has been approved at an extraordinary session of the Regional Council of Deputies.

The Chairman of the Regional Council of Deputies, Vladimir Terentyev, emphasized that despite it being the last working day of the year, the issue brought before the session for consideration—the approval of the investment program and the revision of the budget—is important. Funds will be reallocated to support the development of the social sphere, agriculture, and the economy. Similar measures will be implemented across the districts of the region, which will allow for a clearer definition of the contours of development for the upcoming year.

It should be noted that on December 26, at a regular session of the Regional Council of Deputies, the regional budget was approved in the amount of 4.5 billion rubles, and the main approaches to its formulation were endorsed.

– The budget draft includes funding for the implementation and continuation of all activities under state programs. The social orientation of the budget is maintained. In 2024, 64% of total expenditures are planned to be directed to the social sphere, while in cities and districts this figure reaches up to 80%, – emphasized Gennady Grebnev, Head of the Main Financial Department of the Regional Executive Committee.

The budget traditionally provides funding for all sectors of the economy that ensure the vital needs of the population. This includes passenger transport, maintenance and repair of roads and streets, major renovation of the housing stock, etc.

At the session, the revised budget was finally approved, taking into account incoming revenues and non-repayable transfers from the republican budget. An opportunity has been identified to additionally allocate resources to support passenger transport, local road management, and agricultural producers, who have been allocated approximately 6 million rubles (these funds will be used for preparation for spring fieldwork, purchase of fertilizers, and equipment repair).

As for major events such as the Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia, when forming the budgetary estimates, the Ministry of Finance allocated an additional 65 million rubles to the planned appropriations. These funds are used for the preparation of specific facilities that will be utilized during the forum. In particular, for the reconstruction of the Cultural and Business Center "Vitebsk" (approximately 10 million rubles) and the "Vitebsk" hotel.

Overall, the main source of replenishing the revenue base of the budget is the stable operation of the economy and enterprises, timely and full payment of tax and non-tax revenues, and improved efficiency. This, in turn, will lead to increased profits and corporate income tax contributions, higher wages, and greater personal income tax collections, emphasized Gennady Grebnev. Therefore, coordinated and effective work by all sectors and government bodies will enable the attraction of additional funds to finance those activities that were not accounted for in the budget approval process for various reasons.

The Investment Program of the Vitebsk Region for 2024 has been developed over a three-year period, noted Alexander Nefyodov, Acting Chairman of the Committee on Architecture and Construction of the Regional Executive Committee, and provides for funding the construction of facilities, including those included in the program in previous years.

In total, the program outlines 286 facilities, for the construction of which 252.5 million rubles are allocated.

What is new this year? For the first time, transport infrastructure facilities have been included. For instance, in Vitebsk on M. Gorky Street, track infrastructure and overhead contact lines will be replaced, and design and estimate documentation is being prepared for a facility comprising an automatic tram wash and wastewater treatment plant at the tram depot.

Like the budget, the Investment Program has a social focus. Significant attention is paid to further expanding housing construction volumes, ensuring residential areas have access to kindergartens, sports facilities, and other amenities.

For example, 134.6 million rubles have been allocated to the housing and utility services sector and construction. Construction of more than 90 engineering and transport infrastructure facilities is planned for residential areas, along with new street distribution gas pipelines for housing gasification (91.7 million rubles), 19 housing construction projects (19.8 million rubles), and 57 water supply and wastewater disposal facilities (6.3 million rubles).

More than 13 million rubles have been allocated to the education sector to complete the construction of a kindergarten in Lepel, reconstruct an extension to Secondary School No. 2 named after A. Dubosarsky in Shumilino, and construct a dormitory on Tereshkova Street in Vitebsk. This also includes funding for the reconstruction of the dining hall at the Polotsk Psychoneurological Boarding School and the reconstruction of the Alexandrovsky Boarding Home for the Elderly and Disabled in the Sharkawshchyna District (4.4 million rubles).

In addition, funds are being allocated from the regional budget for the preparation of documentation and restoration of the former governor's palace in Vitebsk, construction of a multi-purpose sports complex in the regional center, and construction of a sports center in Polotsk.

It is planned to complete the construction of a kindergarten in Lepel, a dormitory for athletes in the urban-type settlement of Ushachi, and a roller skiing track at the Vitebsk College of Olympic Reserve. Two family-type houses will be built in Vitebsk and Postavy.

Source: vitebsk-region.gov.by