Lukashenko appoints new head of Belarus high-tech park
BelarusFeed
15 March 2017, 23:39
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko appointed his aide Vsevolod Yanchevsky the new head of the Administration of the High-Tech Park Belarus.
Yanchevsky accompanied the head of state during the visit to several IT companies in Minsk on Monday, 13 March.
He also announced the project IT country, which is aimed at advancing the Belarusian IT sector to a new level.
The 40-year-old official is not a newcomer in the sphere.
Back in 2013 the president expanded the functions of his aide and the head of the main ideological department of the Presidential Administration with the funstions of “ensuring state policy in the spheres of information and high technologies.”
Looks like the fears about possible enforcement of more control on the IT sphere were ungrounded, TUT.BY writes. Yanchevsky, the youngest person in Alexander Lukashenko’s team, was always a liberal.
“No bans. Freedom and progress. Lower prices, higher speed, more services, security from hackers – these are the priorities of the state regarding the internet”, Yanchevsky said back in 2010.
The previous head of the Belarusian High-Tech Park Valery Tsepkala was dismissed at the beginning of March.
Tsepkala was one of the founders of the HTP and had headed the Park since its creation in 2005.
It is time for a change, IT tops say
Major IT businessmen in Belarus welcomed the new appointment.
“The appointment of a professional is a good sign for the IT industry, which is one of the main drivers of the country’s future growth”, Viktor Prokopenya, the head of VP Capital, said.
“I know Vsevolod Yanchevsky personally, he is very engaged in everything that happens in IT. It is very important for the person heading the HTP to understand the prospects and problems of the industry”, Viber co-founder Igor Magazinnik said.
“I like the ideas that have been voiced recently – the intention to develop product companies, create venture legislation, liberalize business environment in Belarus. I am convinced that this is a step in the right direction, that will help make Belarus a true IT-country”, Alexander Chekan, partner of the Haxus venture company, said.
“The companies of the HTP are now mainly oriented at outsourcing, and its growth potential is coming to an end because of the demographic limitations. Product development is more profitable and promising, and should be one of the directions of the development for the Park. It is also necessary to simplify the rules for carrying out foreign economic transactions. Finally, it is necessary to decriminalize the law, so that only economic sanctions would be applied for economic crimes”, Yuri Zisser, the founder of the Belarusian portal TUT.BY, said.
15 March 2017, 23:39
Alexander Lukashenko, Vsevolod Yanchevsky, IT businessman Viktor Prokopenya and investor Mikhail Gutseriyev on 13 March. Photo: president.gov.by
Yanchevsky accompanied the head of state during the visit to several IT companies in Minsk on Monday, 13 March.
He also announced the project IT country, which is aimed at advancing the Belarusian IT sector to a new level.
The 40-year-old official is not a newcomer in the sphere.
Back in 2013 the president expanded the functions of his aide and the head of the main ideological department of the Presidential Administration with the funstions of “ensuring state policy in the spheres of information and high technologies.”
Looks like the fears about possible enforcement of more control on the IT sphere were ungrounded, TUT.BY writes. Yanchevsky, the youngest person in Alexander Lukashenko’s team, was always a liberal.
“No bans. Freedom and progress. Lower prices, higher speed, more services, security from hackers – these are the priorities of the state regarding the internet”, Yanchevsky said back in 2010.
The previous head of the Belarusian High-Tech Park Valery Tsepkala was dismissed at the beginning of March.
Tsepkala was one of the founders of the HTP and had headed the Park since its creation in 2005.
It is time for a change, IT tops say
Major IT businessmen in Belarus welcomed the new appointment.
“The appointment of a professional is a good sign for the IT industry, which is one of the main drivers of the country’s future growth”, Viktor Prokopenya, the head of VP Capital, said.
“I know Vsevolod Yanchevsky personally, he is very engaged in everything that happens in IT. It is very important for the person heading the HTP to understand the prospects and problems of the industry”, Viber co-founder Igor Magazinnik said.
“I like the ideas that have been voiced recently – the intention to develop product companies, create venture legislation, liberalize business environment in Belarus. I am convinced that this is a step in the right direction, that will help make Belarus a true IT-country”, Alexander Chekan, partner of the Haxus venture company, said.
“The companies of the HTP are now mainly oriented at outsourcing, and its growth potential is coming to an end because of the demographic limitations. Product development is more profitable and promising, and should be one of the directions of the development for the Park. It is also necessary to simplify the rules for carrying out foreign economic transactions. Finally, it is necessary to decriminalize the law, so that only economic sanctions would be applied for economic crimes”, Yuri Zisser, the founder of the Belarusian portal TUT.BY, said.
