Events

MINSK, 18 December (BelTA) – The House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus gave the first reading to the bill on the next year’s central state budget on 18 December, BelTA has learned.

In line with the document the central state budget is expected to receive Br20.485 billion and spend Br19.751 billion. The budget surplus is estimated at Br733.88 million.

The next year’s key task is to restore economy growth, bolster the competitive ability of the Belarusian economy, and enable conditions conducive to reaching the goals specified by the 2016-2020 social and economic development program.

Belarusian Finance Minister Vladimir Amarin explained that in 2018 the tax burden will not exceed 25.5% of the GDP and will not exceed the 26% threshold specified by the social and economic development guidelines for the current five-year term.

The entire increase in revenues of the central state budget will be poured into salaries and pensions of the Belarusian military and into servicing the state debt.

The so-called top-priority expenses — salaries and transfers to the population, the servicing of the state debt, acquisition of medications, food, payments for utilities, and transfers between budgets — account for 65% of the consolidated budget. As much as Br10.6 billion or a third of the consolidated budget will be spent on salaries.

The next year’s salary fund of the consolidated budget will exceed this year’s by Br1.2 billion. It will allow increasing the average monthly salary in public sector to Br700, 14% up from this year’s expected sum of Br615.

Should the state budget gain additional revenues, they will be spent on raising salaries in public sector. Special reserve funds will be set up as part of the central state budget and the municipal budgets to match the sum of the expected additional revenues. The regulations on setting them up and using them are part of the next year’s central state budget bill in accordance with the relevant decision of the head of state.

In 2018 education will get 9.6% more money than this year, healthcare — 3.5% more. In money terms the consolidated budget will allocate Br5.6 billion and Br4.8 billion for education and healthcare.

As much as Br173.7 million will be spent on sport and physical training. The budget bill set aside money to train and send Belarusian athletes to participate in the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea and in the Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Money has been appropriated for preparations for the 2019 European Games, which will take place in Minsk.

As much as Br100.3 million will be spent on culture. The overall spending on social policy will increase by 3%. The central state budget will spend over Br348 million on supporting large families by means of family capital.