OREANDA-NEWS. February 15, 2010. Belarus’ consolidated budget deficit amounted to 0.9 trillion Belarusian rubles (Br) in 2009, or 0.7% of GDP, Finance Minister Andrei Kharkovets said at an enlarged board session of the ministry.

Republican budget surplus reached 500 billion rubles, and the deficit of regional and Minsk city budgets was at 1.5 trillion rubles.

Consolidated budget revenues reached 62.8 trillion rubles, 2% above the adjusted forecast, and expenditures amounted to 63.7 trillion rubles, 0.8% short of the target.

The key budget revenues in 2009 were based on foreign trade taxes, at 8 trillion rubles, VAT, at 8.2 trillion rubles, and excises, at 3.5 trillion rubles; Revenues of the Social Security fund amounted to 16.2 trillion rubles, 1.4% over the adjusted annual plan.

Expenditures on the social sector reached 20.3 trillion rubles. Financing of State Investment Program projects reached 2.3 trillion rubles, of agriculture was at 3.6 trillion rubles, and spending of the Social Security Fund amounted to 14.7 trillion rubles.

Commenting on tasks for 2010, Kharkovets said Belarus would curtail subsidies to the economy and maintain rigid budget spending policies.

“The role of saving of budget expenses will grow this year. Financial experts must restrict budget expenses and ensure money flows into the reserve funds of the president and local administrations in order to increase wages in the public sector,” Kharkovets said.