Session to discuss Belarus’ social and economic development

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Favorable external conditions offer the prospect of additional revenues to the budget, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at a government session held on 3 May to discuss Belarus’ social and economic development.

“The conditions are favorable today. Rising world prices (for oil – note by BelTA) are good for us too because this means the prices for petroleum products that we manufacture in Belarus are rising too. The prices for mineral fertilizers, including potassium, are growing as well. This enables us to count on additional revenues to the budget. Nobody knows how long this period will last but it will not last forever. We need to reap as many benefits as possible from the current trends and maintain the forward momentum in all areas,” the President said.

The head of state emphasized that there is a considerable number of unaddressed issues and various opinions on the matter, especially in part of budget spending. “The real sector will, of course, hog the blanket, as we saw this happen in the past. Financial experts will say that we need to reduce the public debt in the first place,” the Belarusian leader said.

“My position is well-known to you and all the Belarusians. The budget serves the objectives of the social policy. Taxes should go back into the society through healthcare, education, salaries, and support of the most vulnerable categories of the population,” the President said.

Belarus needs enterprises operating without constant budget injections, the head of state said.

“The government is going to continue providing state support to enterprises. Of course, some of them need support. However, the main thing is the goals that can be accomplished with this support. If it is provided for current needs, we should not even begin this conversation today. We have not felt the full effects of the previous support yet. We need enterprises operating without constant budget injections. We have been used to taking money from teachers and doctors and sponsoring the companies that must earn and provide money to the budget themselves,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

“We cannot provide budget support to all factories. For example, we have supported the modernization of many enterprises, and now their economy should be independent and return the investments,” the head of state said.