Public private partnership to help deal with beautification problems in Belarus

It is necessary to more actively use public private partnership for the sake of beautification and accomplishment of population centers. Chairwoman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus Natalya Kochanova made the relevant statement after an expanded session of the Presidium of the Council of the Republic in Grodno on 9 December, BelTA has learned.

The handling of appeals of corporations and individuals in Grodno Oblast was high on the agenda of the session. Representatives of executive authorities of the region and members of various councils of deputies also took part in it.

Results of the citizens’ reception day in executive committees of Grodno Oblast were also summarized. Various government officials had met with citizens and heard out their problems in ten districts the day before. In particular, dozens of people from Grodno Oblast and other regions made an appointment to see Natalya Kochanova in the Lida District Executive Committee.

The senator said: “Work with citizens’ appeals proceeds on a systemic basis. But it is very important to look at how the situation evolves in various regions. Offsite meetings with citizens have proven to be a good tool in this regard.” She noted that it was no accident that Grodno Oblast had been selected for the session. It was very important to see how regions near the border live.

The situation with the handling of citizens’ appeals looks good in Grodno Oblast. For instance, the number of appeals the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus gets from Grodno Oblast is minimal.

Natalya Kochanova also drew attention to peculiarities of the region. About 30% of the appeals focus on the beautification of streets, roads, backyards, and populated localities as a whole. “Municipal government agencies should keep an eye on these matters. Meanwhile, we’ve concluded that it is necessary to more actively use public private partnership to address these problems. People should also be interested in keeping their backyard, street, and the surrounding territory in good order. It is also necessary to use the potential of public organizations for it, including community councils. This form of interaction is effective,” she said. Natalya Kochanova said there is a vision of what needs to be done at the legislative level in order to further improve this work.

The head of the upper chamber of the Belarusian parliament noted that it is necessary to be proactive in work with citizens’ appeals. “The better the work will be, the fewer questions people will ask. People will understand how this or that problem is being dealt with,” she stressed.

Apart from that, the senator noted that more than half of the appeals sent to Gomel Oblast authorities were requests for explanations and consultations. She noted municipal government agencies should work harder to inform people via mass media, during meetings with employees of various enterprises and organizations, and in their place of residence.

BelTA – News from Belarus