OREANDA-NEWS On 06 October was announced, that the natural gas price for Belarus in the first quarter of 2010 will amount to USD 166-168 per 1,000 cubic meters. This information said First Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Semashko at meeting of the National council for labor and social issues. 

He said talks over the gas price for 2010 were not over, but there were clear instructions to leave the price formula and index unchanged in 2010. 

Commenting on the possibility to raise utility fees for households, Semashko said the government would not increase them without raising pensions and wages. It was mentioned during the meeting that documents to increase pensions and minimum wages had been submitted to the government. 

Belarus was supposed to pay USD 210 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas in the first quarter of 2009, and USD 158 per 1,000 cubic meters in the second quarter. However, Belarus has been paying the average annual price and will keep paying it until the end of the year. 

The agreement on the average price was not legally finalized, however, it was reached at the level of the presidents.