In 2008 prices for housing and utilities services will not go up by more than $5 in Belarus, Belarusian Housing and Public Utilities Minister Vladimir Belokhvostov told BelTA. According to the official, the state bears the main burden of covering growing expenses arising from the Russian energy price hike. At the same time the $5 limit on the increase in prices for housing and utilities services can involve the loss of profits of the Belarusian utilities companies. As a result the...

The Head of State, Alexander Lukashenko, has signed Executive Order No 423рп “On Approving the Decision of the Council of the Special Fund of the President of the Republic of Belarus for Social Support of Gifted School and University Students”. This document approves the decision of the Council of the Special Fund of the President of the Republic of Belarus for Social Support of Gifted School and University Students, BelTA was told in the president’s press service. In accordance...

In early December the inflation in Belarus was at 0.9%, Belarusian Economy Minister Nikolai Zaichenko told a session of the Council of Ministers. According to him, in January-November this year, the Consumer Price Index increased by 9.4% (a bit higher than it was projected), in early December – 0.9%. At the same time, the minister noted that this year the country reached the targets in banking sphere, ensured the stability of Belarusian ruble, provided necessary credit support to the...

In line with President’s Decree #643 signed on December 17, the stamps that are put in Belarusian passports to allow their owners to leave the country will be annulled starting January 1, 2008, BelTA learnt from the presidential press service. In such a way, the passport of the citizen of the Republic of Belarus will be valid for temporal travels abroad without permission stamps. The document provides for setting up a common database listing citizens, whose right to leave the country is...

In January-October 2007, Belarus’ foreign trade in goods and services swelled by 22.3% up on the same period in 2006 to a total of $46.1 billion, the Ministry of Statistics and Analysis told BelTA. Over the period Belarus’ export increased by 19.7% to $22.1 billion while the import swelled by 24.8% to make up $24 billion. The foreign trade deficit amounted to $1,833.8 million, with the merchandise trade deficit as large as $2,776.9 million, the surplus of the foreign trade in services...

In January-November 2007 Belarus’ Gross Domestic Product totalled Br87 trillion in current prices, 8.2% up on the same period of last year, the Ministry of Statistics and Analysis told BelTA. This year’s GDP growth target stands at 8-9%. The industry share in the GDP amounted to 26.5%, that of transport and communications — 8.8%, trade and public catering — 10.4%, civil engineering — 8.3%, agriculture — 7.6%. In January-October 2007 the labour productivity in GDP terms...

Belarus and Russia continue boosting the mutual trade. In 2007 the trade turnover between Belarus and Russia should reach a record high $24 billion, President of Russia Vladimir Putin said on December 14 during his face-to-face meeting with Belarusian head of state Alexander Lukashenko. “This is a good index,” Vladimir Putin considers. The Russian leader thanked Alexander Lukashenko for the opportunity to hold a session of the Union State Supreme State Council in Minsk. According to...

Belarus and Russia have reached a high level of integration collaboration, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said in Minsk on December 14 as he opened a session of the Supreme State Council of the Union State. “Relations between the two countries have reached the highest level of integration collaboration enabling the parties to take joint actions, consciously handing over some national authority for the sake of resolution of common tasks,” he said. It is the goal that efforts...

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development /EBRD/opened a $3 million credit line for RRB-Bank for a five-year term to provide much-needed financing for small and medium-scale businesses, RRB-Bank Deputy Chairman of Board Viktor Doronkevich told reporters on December 13. According to him, RRB-Bank and the EBRD had long talks before signing the agreement. The work was supervised by the National Bank of Belarus. According to Michael Davey, Director for Caucasus, Moldova and Belarus...

Germany is ready to pour more investments into Belarusian information technology companies, Fried Nielsen, Deputy Head of the German Embassy in the Republic of Belarus, said during the scientific and practical seminar “International experience of operation of scientific and technological parks, technology transfer and innovation management” on December 13. The seminar takes place in Minsk on December 13-14. At present 450 German companies invest hundreds of millions of euros in the...