Opinions & Interviews

Belarus determined to implement roadmap of economic reforms

MINSK, 24 September (BelTA) – The government of Belarus is determined to work earnestly to implement the roadmap of reforms to increase the efficiency of the domestic economy, Belarus First Deputy Premier Aleksandr Turchin said as he met with the World Bank delegation led by World Bank Country Director for Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine Satu Kahkonen on 24 September, BelTA has learned.

“We are fully aware of the issues we have and we are determined to deal with them without delay starting from next year and the next five-year period. We should develop two fundamental program documents – a program for the next five-year period and a national sustainable development strategy for the period till 2035. I am convinced that a great number of things in our roadmap will find their way to these program documents,” Aleksandr Turchin said.

He suggested discussing unresolved issues related to the roadmap. He underlined that the government expects the roadmap to produce some meaningful results.

“The government is interested in addressing  pending issues as soon as possible, however we are realistic about our capacities,” Aleksandr Turchin said commenting on the time frame of the roadmap. “The government has no plans to scribble something on paper and set uncertain deadlines in order to shuffle off our commitments. If we manage to reconcile the roadmap, we will work earnestly to implement it,” he said. Aleksandr Turchin emphasized that only one point of the roadmap is to be implemented in 5-6 years – abolition of subsidies for heat supply for households. This matter has to be discussed and agreed upon at the highest level. The other matters have much shorter deadlines. 
 
Satu Kahkonen noted that social security matters were reconciled a day before at the meeting with the working group responsible for drafting the roadmap. “We have discussed key matters and points that were not agreed upon. There are still issues that need to be agreed upon and these issues need additional discussions,” the WB representative said. In her words, the parties have not found common ground on heat supply rates, reforms of state-run companies, subsidies and directed lending.

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