OREANDA-NEWS. On June 07, 2007 the President of the Republic of Belarus has approved the State Integrated Programme for the development of regions, small and medium towns in 2007-2010. The relevant Decree was signed by the Head of State, reported the Presidential website www.president.gov.by.

The State Programme covering 187 population centres is aimed, first of all, at implementing investment projects (some 1,000 of them, with 195 being of special importance), creating new job places (more than 19,000), reducing unemployment (to one percent) and raising the people’s standards of living.

To meet these goals, the state will be providing support to economic entities to increase their competitiveness, to create conditions for the development of small businesses in goods and services producing industries.

Around Br 2 trillion are expected to be channeled for the implementation of the State Programme, one-fourth of them will be allocated from the budget resources.

At the same time, the Head of State signed into action Decree No 266 which vests wider powers in the regional executive committees for granting preferences to the economic entities of all forms of ownership, including bank loan guarantees paid from local budgets.