30 May 2008
Belarus’ economic growth is accelerating, vice premier says

Belarus’ economic growth is accelerating, Viktar Bura, deputy prime minister, announced at a joint session of the House of Representatives and the Council of the Republic on May 30.

The country’s gross domestic product rose by 10.4 percent in the first four months of this year against a growth of 8.5 percent in the same period of 2007.

Mr. Bura named the industrial sector, which accounted for 31.4 percent of GDP from January through April, as the driving force of the economic growth.

Fixed capital expenditures increased by 24.4 percent in the country in the period. “This shows that the economy is aiming for technical modernization accompanied by a high pace of construction,” Mr. Bura stressed.

The vice premier said that the number of unprofitable companies was declining in Belarus. Such enterprises currently account for only 11 percent of the total number of economic entities registered in the country.

Belarus’ exports went up by nine percent in the first quarter of this year. The country had a deficit of $220.5 million in foreign trade in goods and services. //BelaPAN