OREANDA-NEWS. April 03, 2009. Belarus has taken all necessary measures to give the Russian goods a free access to the market, Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky noted during his visit to the Keramin Company, reported the Official website www.government.by.

“We have agreed that in April we will finish preparing all the documents concerning the free access of Belarusian and Russian goods to the markets of the two countries. This work could have been completed in February if some Russian managers were more efficient with paperwork,” the Prime Minister noted.

For its part, Belarus has taken all necessary decisions to give Russian goods a free access to the Belarusian market. The Belarusian side is expecting the same decisions from Russia.
Sergei Sidorsky also noted that the Russian leadership confirms the adherence to the joint anti-crisis plan. It was confirmed during a telephone conversation with Russian Premier Vladimir Putin last week, Sergei Sidorsky added.

The volume of social expenditure in 2009 will remain at last year’s level, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky said. “We confirm we will honour our obligations before the population at the level of 2008,” Sergei Sidorsky said.

The Prime Minister also said that regardless of the crisis, social expenditures will be quite high in 2009.

The Government of Belarus is not planning to revise downward the GDP growth projection, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky said when visiting the Keramin company. In Q1 the GDP growth in Belarus will be at least 2% over Q1 last year. “This is a very high index for the economy with high industrial potential during the global financial and economic crisis,” the Prime Minister said.

Sergei Sidorsky noted that this is just the beginning of the year and the stability is very important. “If foreign markets are stable, we will be able to do even more,” the Prime Minister added. Belarus has developed a strong anti-crisis programme and set up a team of specialists which includes independent experts as well, he noted.

European banks, among them German, Czech, Polish and Italian banks, have resumed lending to the Belarusian economy in Q1 this year, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky said when visiting the Keramin company on April 3.

European banks do not doubt that Belarus will honour its loan obligations, he said.

According to him, the Minsk Tractor and Engine Works, Keramin have received big loans. The companies used the loans to purchase the equipment made in the countries where they obtained the loans.

Sergei Sidorsky said that Belarus will continue upgrading its companies and will pursue its innovation policy independently of the impact of the global financial and economic crisis. In 2009 Belarus is set to build more than 24 modern-day innovation companies. Around Br2.2 trillion will be invested to modernize the production in 2009. The volume of direct domestic and foreign investments is expected to increase by 20% in Q1.