The World - News from June 8, 1987

The head of the Soviet Ministry of Machine Building, which has been criticized recently for slow and poor-quality production, has been replaced, the official Tass news agency said. Tass made no mention of problems within the ministry in its brief announcement, which said that Boris Belousov, 52, has been named to succeed 70-year-old Vyacheslav V. Bakhirev. Soviet media have frequently mentioned the machine-building industry among those economic sectors failing to implement Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev’s programs for increased output, broader use of technology and better quality.