Alexej Beljajev: We need to address both the current state and the future of Slovak industry

A responsible approach by the government to industry is important for the future development of Slovakia. This was emphasised at the TA3 television conference Business and Industry by Alexej Beljajev, President of ZSP SR and APZD. He pointed to the urgent need to address both short-term and long-term tasks connected with the industrial sector.

The mood in industry is not ideal

Planning production for a longer period of time is enormously difficult today. Uncertainty regarding the prices of raw materials, electricity and employees' wage demands creates considerable challenges for companies in setting prices and profits. The situation is complicated by political and economic instability and by the legislative whirlwind raging in parliament.

Despite all the problems that exist, industry is functioning. „This year, Slovakia's economic development will be driven not by household consumption, but by industrial exports. This is clear proof that even though industry is not in an entirely easy situation, it is still producing, manufacturing and keeping the economy running,“ Beljajev explained.

Insufficient support for large industry

Despite many promises from the previous government, large industry did not receive adequate help in terms of energy support during the crisis. Beljajev compared the approach of other countries to supporting industry, giving examples from Germany and the Czech Republic. These countries invested enormous sums in the energy sector, while Slovakia provided only minimal support.

At the same time, he expressed hope that the new government will discuss this issue and devote attention to it: „We have a commitment from the Prime Minister that they will look at it again, that they will discuss this issue. You see, it is not just a question of industry having got through it. Of course it got through it, only it also lost a great deal. It invested enormous resources of its own, and loan resources that it had to take out, and the funds it could have used for something else, for example for technical development, it used to cover energy costs.“

The foundation is adopting a long-term strategy

The current state of industry is the result of past successes. It is our duty to work actively on its sustainability and future development. „We have some industry here today. We did not invent it; it is simply given here and we have to work with it. That is the short-term task. The long-term task is what kind of industry we want to have in the future and everything we must do to get there,“ Beljajev explained the importance of short-term and long-term goals.

The Association has therefore brought together dozens of experts who are drafting the measures needed for industry and transport over the next fifteen years. The most important of these are distilled into the Programme for Slovakia, called 4 x 4 x 4. The programme could just as easily be called 4 + 4 + 4, because it contains important areas that need reform steps and stability for at least the next 12 years. It is a set of solutions for industrial production, transport, education and the labour market, as well as for renewable resources and the environment, which will help maintain a competitive business sector in Slovakia. 

A spring full of negotiations with party leaders

According to the APZD President, it is important to conduct a dialogue with political parties. The Association's ambition is to persuade party leaders to incorporate 4 x 4 x 4 into their election programmes for the next 4 years. Representatives of the Association therefore held a number of meetings and discussions with several relevant political parties over the past weeks.

Their goal was to present the priorities and needs of industry in Slovakia and, at the same time, to ensure that when the parties draft their policies, they also take into account the needs and legitimate interests of the industrial sector.

If the new government identifies with the proposed measures, the Association is, according to Beljajev, ready to actively help it in implementing them in the coming years from its position as a member of the Economic and Social Council of the Slovak Republic.