"OLVIA-PRESS"

TO THE DAY OF MACHINE-BUILDERS.

Every year, the last Sunday of September, the Day of Machine-builder is celebrated. The tradition of marking that day has remained as far as since the USSR times. In 1966, the USSR Supreme Council Presidium regulation referred the Day of machine-builder to those festive, but just since 1988, one started marking it the last Sunday of September. This year, its celebration falls on September 29^th.

In the Dniester Moldavian Republic, the employees of over 8 industrial enterprises consider this holiday their own one. These are enterprises of different forms of property. Among them, there are the JSC "Electromash", the state Unitarian enterprise "Litmash", Rybnitsa JSC "Pump Plant", the state enterprise "Bendery Machine-building Plant", the state enterprise "Electroapparatura", and others. Production of machine-building plants of Dniestria is diverse: transformers, capacitors, pumps, electric engines, electric machinery, special technological equipment, completing details for different kinds of machinery, etc.

This year, our machine-builders celebrate their professional holiday under difficult conditions. The economic blockade committed by the Republic of Moldova, introduction of custom and certificates' barriers on the way of commodities' transportation caused losses of sales' markets. Mainly it is the Russian market, where about 80% of the Dniestrian products are delivered. As result, the volume of sales of ready goods, produced by the machine-building enterprises, has reduced for 36%.

The DMR ministry of industry informed the correspondent of the press agency "Olvia-press", analysis of works of the machine-building and metalworking branches showed that the social-economic at these enterprises still remains difficult. Nevertheless, the machine-building enterprises make considerable impact into economy of our republic. According to data of the DMR ministry of industry, during the period from January till August 2002, the machine-building and metalworking enterprises have produced commodities for the sum of 1460797 thousand rubles (cca $ 218030 thousand). It makes up 75% with respect to the similar period of 2001. Over 85% of products have been sold.

According to technical-economic indicators by results of the work for January-August 2002 (by volumes of produced goods in actual prices with respect to the similar period of 2001), the state Unitarian enterprise "Litmash" achieved 114% in the DMR rubles and 104% in the USD. The state enterprise "Bendery Machine-building Plant", executing orders of the RF military-industrial complex achieved 132% in the DMR rubles and 121% in USD.

Many enterprises managed to achieve positive results in production with respect to the similar period of 2001. For example, Rybnitsa JSC "Pump Plant" during the period from January till August has increased production for 7% in comparison with the similar period of 2001. The JSC "Electromash" when reducing production of large electric machinery for 12% increased production of centrifuge pumps for 91% in comparison with the first 6 months of 2001. Enterprises busy with production of machinery preserved their social sphere: dispensaries, resorts houses, kindergartens, and polyclinics. Due to correct policy of the authorities, the working collectives managed to avoid mass sacking of workers and to save professional personnel.

Nearly all machine-building enterprises of Dniestria work on the principle of completed production cycle; namely this form of work lets the enterprises survive under hard market conditions and arrange production of high-qualitative competitive commodities. This cycle includes processing of raw materials, production of semi-fabricates, final production and its realization.

One more condition of survival of enterprises and state under market conditions is de-statalization and privatization of industrial enterprises. But privatization of machine-building enterprises has its own peculiarities. As a matter of fact, an investor (or investors) will be able to get their money back, put into these enterprises, as far as within a long period of time (in 5-10 years). Only after that, they will receive profits. That's why it's necessary to find an investor, having a plan of works for long perspective. Both the ministry of industry and heads of the enterprises work with resolution of this problem today.

On the eve of celebration of the Machine-builder day, at all enterprises of that branch, festive actions took place. The DMR President Igor Smirnov and the minister of industry Anatoly Blashku warmly and cordially congratulated those who work in this sphere.