Opinions & Interviews

Belarus’ National Bank head comments on priorities for 2030 socio-economic development program

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MINSK, 3 November (BelTA) - Roman Golovchenko, Chairman of the Board of the National Bank of Belarus and head of the working group for finalizing the draft program for social and economic development up to 2030, outlined the key priorities of the program in an interview on Belarus 1 TV channel, BelTA has learned.

“One of the most complex tasks in any forecasting effort is to ensure the program is vertically integrated, or ‘cascaded’, so that high-level priorities are broken down into specific tasks, goals, and implementation mechanisms, and are capped with a system for evaluating the achievability of each parameter. In this, we are placing people at the forefront. This means, first and foremost, improving the demographic situation, which is a significant challenge for our economy. The second direction is the development of human potential,” Roman Golovchenko said.

The demographic component is linked to public health, birth rates, and family planning. “Support for families with children should, in our view, play a key role. Because our most important asset is our labor resources. Reversing the current negative demographic trends must, we believe, become one of the top priorities,” the National Bank head emphasized.

He noted that the world around us is changing very rapidly, and new technologies are emerging at an extremely fast pace. “Take artificial intelligence, for example. Look at how quickly it's developing, and the rapid pace at which the digital economy is growing and its contribution to overall economic development. None of this is possible without preparing a person not just for life, but for work in this world. That's why a focus on practice-oriented education and enhancing the professional component within education is also very important. Many members of the working group spoke about this. The modernization of our education system is also outlined in the program,” Roman Golovchenko said.

The head of the working group emphasized that there is no way to avoid increasing the competitiveness and technological level of our economy. “I see a key priority in boosting spending on science and research and development. Unfortunately, we have not yet reached the optimal level, and this is not just about state budget investments in science; it's about nurturing and cultivating innovation-active enterprises. That is, those that directly implement innovations in production, put them into practice, and generate added value,” he said. “The state should not only set such tasks but must also make this model of work attractive in itself and create the necessary incentives.” 

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