OREANDA-NEWS. November 30, 2009. Belarus’ retail turnover, including the public catering sector, went up 2.6% on the year in January-October to 45.37 trillion Belarusian rubles (Br), an official with the National Statistics Committee told . The increase in retail sales is projected at 17% in 2009.

Retail sales by trading companies rose 2.8 % on the year in the period to 43.2 trillion rubles, while public catering companies’ sales edged down 2.8% on the year to 2.2 trillion rubles.

Of the total, trade organizations accounted for 75.4%, and individual entrepreneurs and newly formed unitary companies accounted for the remaining 24.6%.

The share of foods and non-foods in total retail trade turnover was at 50.4% and 49.6%, respectively, compared to 49.4% and 50.6% in January-October 2008.

Belarus-made consumer goods accounted for 79.1% of the retail trade turnover. Trade at markets was not accounted for. The share of Belarusian foodstuffs was at 86.7%, Belarusian non-foods at 68.3% in retail trade.

The share of private companies in the total retail turnover was at 82%, unchanged from January-October 2008, state companies 14.3%, down 0.6 of a percentage point year-on-year, while the share of foreign companies stood at 3.7%, up 0.4 of a percentage point.