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Belarus counts on foreign aid in training property managers

Belarus hopes on foreign partners' assistance in training property managers, Galina Polyanskaya, chairperson of the permanent commission for housing policy, construction, trade and privatization of the House of Representatives, said at a session of the commission on 17 February. According to the deputy, the lack of qualified personnel impedes the development of new forms of property management in Belarus. There is also no legal framework for property management in Belarus. Galina Polyanskaya hopes that the problem will be settled once the Housing Code is adopted. According to her, the document is expected to be sent to the House of Representatives in April this year. It shall contain the provisions regulating property management, the activity of homeowners associations in particular. “Homeowners associations currently account for 7% in the total structure of property management. People are unwilling to take up responsibility and get involved in addressing the issues of financing, repairs, community development,” Galina Polyanskaya believes. Anatoly Kuzmich, deputy of the commission for housing policy, construction, trade and privatization, fully agrees with Galina Polyanskaya. According to him, many Belarusians support the idea of creating homeowners associations. Yet there are few who would want to head the association, as it requires special knowledge, responsibility. Attending the session were also officials of the ministries and agencies concerned, Belarusian utility companies and homeowners associations. The event was organized to have Belarusian specialists get familiar with the experience of Germany in property management. Attending the session were German experts: Bernhard Schwarz, chief of the Housing Initiative for Eastern Europe, and Werner Merkel, director of the VEGIS management company, member of the presidium of the German central union of property managers. The international association of property management organizations will be set up in Belarus with the participation of German partners, Galina Polyanskaya informed. The association will provide assistance with reforming of the housing and utilities infrastructure of Belarus, improving the housing stock management. The association will be also working on advancing progressive national and international technologies in property management.