OREANDA-NEWS. January 17, 2013. The Finance Ministry of Belarus has adjusted the 2012 budget plan, whereby the budget deficit will grow 23.7 times to Br2.421 trillion (USD 282.5 million at the NBB rate) to compare the original forecast, which expected the budget deficit to stand at Br102 billion (USD 11.9 million).

The Finance Ministry posted a statement to this effect on its official web site.

Thus, Belarus may fail to meet one of the conditions of the stand-by credit programme of the EurAsEC Financial Bailout Fund, which was to have a zero-deficit budget plan for 2012.

According to the new edition of the budget plan adjusted by the Finance Ministry, the 2012 republican budget revenues are projected at 98.942 trillion rubles (USD 11.545 billion), and expenditures at 96.521 trillion rubles (USD 11.263 billion).

As previously reported, in early 2012 the Finance Ministry was all for a zero-deficit budget plan, however in May the forecast was adjusted, with the end-of-year budget deficit expected at Br91.9 billion (around USD 10.7 million). In turn, in November 2012 the anticipated budget deficit raised to Br102 billion (USD 11.9 million).

In January-November 2012 Belarus’ Finance Ministry posted a republican budget surplus of Br400 billion (USD 46.7 million at the NBB rate), or 0.09% of GDP.