MINSK, 16 December (BelTA) – Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko deems it necessary to introduce limits for gas and electricity consumption by companies. The President of Belarus made this statement at a permanent seminar for top government officials to discuss import substitution, BelTA has learnt.

The President believes that dramatic reduction in energy consumption can be achieved by economic and administrative methods.

Economic methods mean regulation of the energy cost for organizations that use energy inefficiently. “Introduce gas and electricity consumption limits. If a company goes beyond the limits, it should pay several times more. Not at the expense of a state-run company!” the President said. He emphasized that specific persons should be held accountable. And vice versa, employees who save resources should be regularly rewarded.

Administrative measures imply tougher consumption rates per a product as well as government standards for technological equipment coupled with gradual transition to international standards. The President emphasized that the whole process should start in 2012.

“The government should closely monitor the most energy-intensive companies, including energy companies. There are huge reserves there,” the head of state said.

The President noted that at least a quarter of electric and heat energy should be produced using local, secondary and alternative resources in the near term. “In this five-year period, we should reduce the energy intensity of GDP by a third. This way we will be able to fulfill the energy conservation target stipulated in Directive No. 3,” the head of state said.

“We should enter the year 2013 with a new, less energy and material-intensive economy,” Alexander Lukashenko said.