The Social Policy Pursued by the Belarusian State

A democratic social law-abided state realizes the necessity of pursuing strong social policy and using the effective mechanism of its implementation with the goal of meeting better the needs of the people, improving their living conditions and quality of life.

Strong people-centered policy of the state is a characteristic feature of the Belarusian model of the socially oriented market economy. It is a cornerstone of our state policy.

The Programme of social development of the Republic of Belarus for 2001-2005 envisaged:

- creating conditions for improving the health of the population, increasing its educational and cultural level by giving priority to the development of health care, education, culture, sports and tourism;

- improving the demographic situation in this country and strengthening the importance of the family institution;

- creating conditions for sustainable socio-economic development and growing efficiency of the real sector of economy;

- reducing tax burden on manufacturers and the population;

- technical updating and restructuring of enterprises on the basis of new and high technologies to be introduced;

- bringing the monthly salaries of the people’s economy employees to the level equivalent to USD 250 by the end of the five-year period;

- raising pensions by up to 48 per cent, scholarships by 25-30 per cent as compared with the average monthly earnings in the people’s economy;

- improving environmental situation, carrying out effective measures in coping with the after-effects of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster;

- ensuring comprehensive socio-economic development of the regions, districts and towns, stabilization of the situations in the areas facing problems.

HEALTH CARE

Despite difficult socio-economic situation in Belarus, the state system of health care and control over its development has been preserved.

According to the WHO estimates, Belarus ranks 53rd among 191 states as to the overall achievements of the health care systems.

NATIONAL SYSTEM OF EDUCATION

The policy line chosen by the Republic of Belarus and aimed at creating a social state allowed us to ensure stable functioning of the education system, to identify the true strategy of its development. As a result, the literacy level of the adult population reached 99.6 per cent.

According to the data used by the UN in measuring the technological development index, Belarus is not inferior to the leading countries and takes the lead over Canada, Poland, Italy in the number of patents per capita; Poland, the USA, Great Britain, Germany, Norway in the number of students learning natural and technological sciences.

PHYSICAL CULTURE AND SPORTS

The state policy in physical culture, sports and tourism is above all else aimed at strengthening the health of the nation, increasing longevity and life span of the people, and creating facilities for active recreation.

CULTURE

The development of culture in this country is encouraged by the participation of the leader of the state in meetings with creative communities, by the activities of the Presidential Fund for the Support of Culture and Arts, by the creative actions (solemn presentation of the awards “For Spiritual Revival” and special prizes of the President of the Republic of Belarus for the workers of culture and arts). Every year the Ministry of Culture appropriates the centralized funds and grants from the Presidential Fund for the Support of Culture and Arts to acquire a considerable part of the works of fine arts, folk crafts, dramatics, music by the Belarusian authors who live in various places of the republic. To support financially the realization of creative projects the workers of culture and arts, the creative youth of the republic receive state scholarships and grants every year. The scholarship and grant winners include writers, journalists, actors, artists, folk craftsmen, leaders of the amateur collectives from all the regions of Belarus.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

The visit by President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko to the National Film Studio “Belarusfilm” and the assignments given to him as a follow-up of the visit identified the basic guidelines in developing this kind of art.

At present, the republic undergoes the process of reforming the cultural establishments (350 new-type establishments and 431 centralized club system).

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In his address at the third All-Belarus People’s Assembly on March 2, 2006, the President summarized the results of the implementation of the Programme of socio-economic development of the Republic of Belarus for 2001-2005.

The President pointed out that Belarus had fulfilled the major indicators of the Programme of socio-economic development of Belarus for 2001-2005. “The secret behind our success is in strong state power, strong social policy and reliance on the people,” the Belarusian leader added.

The priority goal of the current five-year planning period is a sharp rise in living standards. We should be striving to achieve, in five years, a quality of life of our citizens comparable to the West-European standards, the President said.

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On 5 March, 2005,  the President of the Republic of Belarus signed into action the Decree “On Declaring 2006 the Year of Mother.”

Maternity services, child and family care are the priorities of the social policy of the Republic of Belarus. The issuance of the above-stated Decree by the Head of State is yet another proof of the recognition of the social importance of maternity.

A number of events are scheduled to be held within the Year of Mother aimed at raising the role of family status and propagandizing the state priorities in the family policy field.