MINSK, 9 December (BelTA) – Chairman of the Supreme State Council (SSC) of the Union State of Belarus and Russia, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko will take part in a session of the SSC in Moscow on 10 December, BelTA learnt from the presidential press service. The participants of the session will discuss the results of the bilateral trade and economic cooperation in January-September 2009, the implementation of the joint crisis management plan, energy, military and technical...

MINSK, 9 December (BelTA) – The House of Representatives of Belarusian Parliament has adopted the draft law, On National Budget 2010, in the first reading, BelTA has learnt. Presenting the bill, Finance Minister of Belarus Andrei Kharkovets noted that in 2010 revenues of Belarus’ consolidated budget are expected to total Br53 trillion, or 30.4% of GDP. The main sources of tax revenues of the consolidated budget are the VAT, foreign trade revenues, income and profit taxes paid by legal...

MOSCOW, 9 December (BelTA) –Union State parliamentarians will discuss the military and boundary cooperation during a session of Belarus-Russia Union State Parliamentary Assembly’s Commission for Security, Defence and Fight against Crime in Gomel on 10 December, BelTA learnt from the press service of the Union State PA. The parliamentarians will discuss the measures aimed at strengthening the military security of the Union State in 2009, the implementation of a number of the Union State...

MINSK, 7 December (BelTA) – The Finance Ministry has brought the next year’s budget bill into the Belarus parliament. The draft budget increases the VAT from 18% to 20%, BelTA has learned. Finance Minister Andrei Kharkovets told a session of the relevant commission of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly on 7 December, the increased VAT is expected to earn extra Br1.7 trillion for the national budget. Simultaneously four other taxes will be abolished, namely donations to...

MINSK, 2 December (BelTA) – Preparations for the 65th anniversary of Belarus' liberation in WWII have been completed, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky said at the third session of the national organizational committee handling the preparation for the events to mark the 65th anniversary of Belarus’ liberation from the Nazis and Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War. The session was held in the House of Government and was chaired by Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky...

MINSK, 1 December (BelTA) – All the problem points Belarus had have been addressed during negotiations about the Customs Union, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko told media on 1 December. The Customs Union stands for mutual concessions, mutual support and the huge market. There is nothing to fear, said the head of state. “The creation of the united customs territory should be complete as from 1 July 2010,” reminded the President. “After that the commission we are setting up...

MINSK, 1 December (BelTA) – Belarus’ accession to the Customs Union will not result in a sharp increase in commodity prices, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said on 1 December, BelTA has learnt. The head of state underlined that if import duties are reduced, the prices for these products are not supposed to eventually increase. “Of course, these goods will create competition for our goods, but we have protected our positions. Overall, the prices will remain the same for the...

MINSK, 27 November (BelTA) – Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia introduce unified customs tariffs on 1 January 2010. The decision was taken by Presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia today in Minsk, The Customs Union Commission, the supranational body, will be in charge of the formation of unified customs tariffs. The customs territory of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia will be launched on 1 July 2010. According to President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, the decisions on introducing...

MINSK, 26 November (BelTA) – President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has thanked the International Telecommunications Union for choosing Belarus as the country to host the regional preparatory assembly for the CIS states for the 2010 World Telecommunication Development Conference. Alexander Lukashenko met with Hamadoun Toure, Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union, on 26 November. At the meeting the Belarus President said: “I would like to thank you for the...

MINSK, 24 November (BelTA) – Mass media must not poison relations between nations. The Belarusian head of state made the relevant statement as he met with participants at the X session of the CIS Council of heads of state news agencies on 24 November. The President believes that mass media should objectively and truthfully cover what is going on inside a country as well as relations between nations. He believes that by distorting information, mass media mislead common citizens. In...