Lukashenka ready to sell everything

Any enterprise can be privatized and the question is only in price, the Belarusian ruler says.

“Any enterprise can be privatized. Any. No exceptions,” he said at a meeting to discuss privatization problems, BelTA reports.

At the same time Lukashenka tried to calm Belarusians promising no all-out privatization in the country. “It will be targeted, if the government needs it,” Alyaksandr Lukashenka said.

No privatization of state property to please the EU or Russia is possible in Belarus, he says.

“If you want to please the International Monetary Fund, the European Union, America, Russia or someone else by declaring we are going to sell something, do it without me and not on my watch,” Lukashenka noted.

“These or those states or organizations may like you, it's good and necessary. But not at this cost,” he said.

Lukashenka stressed “privatization of the country to please someone cannot be discussed”.

Lukashenka also announced the new value appraisal of the Belarusian potash producer. According to him, Belaruskali company, which cost was recently been estimated at $30bn, now costs “over $30bn”. The recapitalization seems to have been carried out taking into account the devalued dollar.

“Due to the inflation, we will adjust 30 billion dollars according to the index from July 1. It means the cost of Belaruskali may be not 30bn, but 3 billion and 10 million dollars from July 1. The price will be linked to the index,” Lukashenka said last summer.

“We do not oppose the privatization even of such a strategic enterprise as Belaruskali, which brings the state an income of up to $3bn in best years. But we have set the price. It is over $30bn for today,” he said.

It should be noticed that Belaruskali brings up to $3bn of foreign currency revenue, not income.

“Did our people blame us for that? No. Did we sell it (Belaruskali)? No. It's because we a the normal price, which has been welcomed by many international financial institutions,” Lukashenka repeated.

“Those who wanted to privatize Belaruskali were ready to pay only $15bn. I told them, 'Goodbye, go away,'” the Belarusian ruler reminded.

The head of state said rather seriously government officials had money only to buy a thousand of bricks.

“Does anyone here want to take part in the privatization process? Go ahead, quit from the government executive, get your money out of your pockets and buy an enterprise on common terms. If you have money,” Lukashenka said. “As far as I know, you may have money to buy thousand bricks or ten cubic metres of concrete blocks, I don’t know whether you have money to buy more.”

Speaking about consequences of the privatization, Lukashenka said the information from region governors worried him: “I need to take an axe today and cut these processes. Our enterprises were doing well after the privatization, but then have turned into objects of scheming. Who will be responsible for this?” he said.