OREANDA-NEWS. September 21, 2010. There are plans to allocate around Br3.5 trillion for the state water supply and water disposal program “Pure Water” in 2011-2015, Minister of Housing and Communal Services Vladimir Belokhvostov told a session of the Council of Ministers Presidium. The session tabled the draft program on 21 September.

The new program envisages 1,946 actions. Efforts will be poured into improving the quality of water and extending the coverage of cities and towns with centralized water supply service. There are plans to rebuild 84 deferrization stations, plans to build 360km of water pipelines in urban communities, with the total funding at Br365 billion. For the sake of improving water disposal in Belarus there are plans to build and rebuild 227 waste disposal stations, 228 sewage pump stations, and 456km of drainage pipelines, with the total funding at Br917 billion.

Analyzing the breakdown of funds for the new program, the Minister remarked that almost one third will be spent on improving water disposal installations. For the first time innovation funds of oblast executive authorities will have to appropriate funds for the program. To make it happen, up to 25% of water supply and disposal fees will be transferred to such funds, explained the Minister. The measure will allow spending Br1 trillion on the program in 2011-2015. To make it happen, the Belarus president decree No. 596 “Formation and utilization of money in innovation funds” will be amended.

Vladimir Belokhvostov also added that there are plans to introduce an investment component into tariffs on water supply and disposal services for individuals in order to prevent the growth of budget subsidies for such services. Household bills for a standard three-room apartment with three residents will not exceed the limits which are set by the budget for 2011 and consequent years and are laid down by the plan for the social and economic development for the five-year term, said the Minister.