Events

MINSK, 11 October (BelTA) - The decision on the format and scale of the Big Family project will be taken soon, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told a press conference for Russian regional mass media, BelTA learned.

The necessary resources to support the birth rate in the country will be allocated, said the head of state.

So far the Big Family project has been discussed at the level of proposals. "When you have a child, you get some amount. It can be $10,000, or $20,000 or $5,000. Everything will depend on the economic situation in the country,” said Alexander Lukashenko.

He stressed that this is one of the proposals. The measures that will encourage people to have more children will be adopted soon.

“Three children in the family should become the norm. Only then we will have the future and develop as a normal sovereign and independent state. The price is great, probably $1 billion or even $2 billion. But the goal is great too. Human resources are crucial to a state,” the Belarusian leader said.

Alexander Lukashenko praised Alla Pugacheva for becoming a mother of the twins: "Great job! This is real happiness to have children at that age.”

When asked whether larger state support could lead to an increase in the birth rate in dysfunctional families, the President acknowledged: “Yes, I am afraid of that. But each dysfunctional family is registered in Belarus. When the government gets a signal that the family is not able to take care of a child, we immediately take him away from such a family.”

Alexander Lukashenko stressed that the maintenance of the children taken out from dysfunctional families is not sponsored exclusively by the state - more than 70% of the costs are reimbursed by negligent parents out of their salaries. Those who refuse to work may be incarcerated.

The President noted that cases are many when children are returned to their families. When the parents come back to their senses, they get back their kids.

“All countries have this problem of dysfunctional families. The task of the state is to make sure such cases are as few as possible,” Alexander Lukashenko noted. But most large families in Belarus are doing well, he said.