23 January 2003
Enterprises ordered to help farms with fuel
The Brest regional government has ordered district authorities to raise "donations" from state-controlled industrial enterprises to help supply collective and state farms with fuel.
The Pinsk city government has been ordered to collect 2,540 tons of fuel or the money equivalent. The Pinsk government is to supply 1,870 tons to farms in the Pinsk district and 670 tons to farms in the neighboring Stolin district. The Pinsk district authorities are to raise 220 tons of fuel. The city authorities in Pinsk ordered some 130 enterprises
to give fuel in proportion to the number of workers. For instance, a company employing 120 workers would have to "donate" between 15 and 20 tons. Expenses on the fuel roughly amount to a monthly payroll. The fuel is to be collected by May.
Managers have been outraged by the order as few enterprises have free cash to donate. Managers fear that the fuel donation order will be followed by a directive obliging enterprises to help farms build up
stocks of cattle feed like it was in the last few years.
http://brestonline.com/en/news/news343.html