Volozhin Region
Executive Committee

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko heard out a report of First Deputy Prime Minister Nikolai Snopkov and Finance Minister Yuri Seliverstov on 25 August, BelTA informs.

“The meeting will focus on the implementation of the state budget, local budgets,” the president said at the beginning of the meeting. “First of all, I want you to report on the influence of the budget on the formation of salaries. We agreed that it should be 80% of the average salary in the country for budget-sponsored employees. Of course, the budget has a strong influence on pensions of our people. Pensions are a holy thing.”

The head of state deems it necessary to ensure that pensions make up 40% of the average salary. “Veterans turned out to be the most persistent and reliable people. They are, in fact, the pillars of our statehood in this complicated period. We must take care of them. If we do not take care of them, it will mean that we are not the government, not the state,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

Another issue on the agenda was the fulfillment of the state obligations to repay foreign debt. “What is the state of affairs here? If it is necessary to refinance something, we need to think how to do it. If we do not refinance, if we cope with it ourselves, please tell me. Of course, the time is not easy. We have spent huge money on coronavirus treatment, all these so-called strikes, rallies have also put pressure on the economic situation. Nobody is counting the money that is spent on them. The losses have already reached Br500 million, and we still do not know what collateral losses will be,” the president said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko asked about budget revenues, the projected deficit in Belarus and of partners, about the impact of markets' closures on these relations. “What is going on on foreign markets? How is the economy working? In what areas do we receive less than due?” the president asked.

Finance Minister Yuri Seliverstov told reporters in early August that Belarus' state budget may fail to receive up to Br4 billion in revenues due to the situation with oil and due to the slower economic growth amid the pandemic.

The planned budget deficit has been raised from Br900 million to Br2.1 billion. The figure may go all the way to Br5 billion at the end of the year. The finance minister stressed there is nothing extraordinary about it, the move reflects the restructuring of debts of bakery plants to the tune of about Br1.3 billion. Yuri Seliverstov explained that the Finance Ministry has some reserves in Belarusian rubles, which had rolled over from the previous surplus years. The reserves will be used to honor all the commitments as the current revenues go down.

In January-July 2020 the deficit of the central state budget amounted to Br1.4 billion. Revenues totaled Br12.8 billion, with expenses at Br14.2 billion. Revenues were Br1.5 billion below last year's figure. The budget received the planned sums from excise duties (Br1.7 billion), VAT (Br5.8 billion), export customs duties on potash fertilizers (Br883 million).

The state budget failed to get the planned sums from export customs duties on oil and oil products (Br175 million or 13% of the target), profit tax (Br260 million or about 18%), and dividends (Br216 million or about 21% of the targeted amount). The economic downturn had a direct effect on revenues from dividends and the profit tax, the finance minister explained.

The Belarusian air carrier Belavia has extended suspension of air travel to Russia till 14 September, BelTA learned from the website of the airline.

Belavia will not fly to Russia till 14 September (flights to Voronezh, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod have been suspended till 24 October) as Russia has not allowed air travel from Belarus yet.

The airline noted that it has also extended suspension of air travel to Riga and Larnaca till 31 August, to Ashgabat till 1 September, and to all destinations in Georgia till 30 September.

Customers who purchased tickets for these travel dates will be able to apply for a refund or to reschedule the flight till 30 March 2021. Tickets can be refunded and flights can be rescheduled at company's offices and customer service centers.

Just a few days are left before the start of the new academic year, Belarus 1.

In Minsk Oblast, 400 schools and kindergartens were repaired and updated. This year, 12 new institutions of preschool and secondary education will open doors for students and pupils.

Thus, over a thousand children in the village of Kopische, Minsk region, will become new settlers. Updating by early fall is a tradition with a beneficial effect. After all, learning in fresh interiors and with new equipment is twice as pleasant.

A Perseid meteor shower can be observed throughout Belarus in cloudless weather in August.

The Perseids are a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Swift–Tuttle. The Perseids are a meteor shower that appears to hail from the constellation Perseus in August every year.

Photos by Andrei Pakumeiko

Belarus should kick-start a new academic year, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he heard out a report of Education Minister Igor Karpenko on 24 August, BelTA has learned.

“It is important to keep learning in all times. It will be very bad if we do not get off to a good start. You remember that the closing of the previous academic year was fraught with the coronavirus anxieties in the society, in particular among parents. Those concerns were excessive, as we know see,” the president noted.

“We need to kick-start the academic year whatever the cost,” the Belarusian leader emphasized.

Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that the main reason why he asked the officials to deliver their reports [Vice Premier Igor Petrishenko was also present] was not to hear about achievements, but rather about bottlenecks that have to be addressed in the build-up to the new academic year.

“I earnestly ask you to make sure that there will not be any visible differences between children from wealthy families and children from less wealthy families. We need to help those who need it, in particular poor families and families with many children. Though I really do not know how else to help the latter, as we offer so many benefits for them like no other country in the world,” the president said.

He noted that companies also got involved in helping parents buy school supplies and uniforms. “From agricultural enterprises to industrial giants – everyone helps. Some purchase school supplies for children, others buy uniforms or give some money. Help comes in various forms, however what matters most is that everyone pitched in despite the fact that several thousand people are rambling through the streets and trying to turn the situation in their favor,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

According to Igor Karpenko, as of 21 February, 96% of schools were ready for the new academic year. “The process is coming to a close. There are no major issues with preparedness of schools. The government allocated funds for that; local authorities also got involved. We are set to open three new schools this year,” the minister informed.

The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is considering limiting the use of plastic bags in stores, Olga Sazonova, the head of the waste management, biological and landscape diversity department at the Belarusian Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry, said at a press conference on 21 August, BelTA has learned.

Belarus has initiated work to amend the technical regulation of the Customs Union on packaging safety. “We have initiated amendments to the regulations not only on biodegradable package but also on the use of traditional polymers. For example, there is a proposal to limit the use of PVC labels on plastic packaging. Such labels make plastic bottles unrecyclable. Another idea is to limit the use of thin plastic bags in retail outlets and of expanded polystyrene packaging for food products,” Olga Sazonova said.

The EAEU has set up a working group to look into the proposed amendments. It includes representatives of the Eurasian Economic Commission and the EAEU member states. “In addition, we are considering the idea to limit the importation of polymer waste to Belarus within the framework of the Customs Union,” Olga Sazonova added.

BelTA reported earlier that as from 1 January 2021, Belarus will introduce a ban on the use and sale of disposable plastic tableware in public catering facilities, including single-use forks, spoons, knives, stirring rods, cups, plates, straws, containers, boxes, trays, lunchboxes, jars, bottles with exception of packaging for semi-finished products and confectionery.

The national air carrier Belavia has extended suspension of flights to Georgia, BelTA learned from the website of the airline.

All flights to Georgia have been suspended till 30 September.

The airline has also extended suspension of air travel to Riga and Larnaca till 31 August. Belavia will not fly to all destinations in Russia till 31 August (to Voronezh, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod – till 24 August) and to Ashgabat – till 1 September.

Customers who purchased tickets for these travel dates will be able to apply for a refund or to reschedule the flight till 30 March 2021. Tickets can be refunded and flights can be rescheduled at company's offices and customer service centers.

Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei has addressed foreign ministers of the EU member states in view of their numerous statements on Belarus. The text of the address was posted on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, BelTA reports.

“You know me well, you know Belarus and Belarusians. It is not the 18th century now, not 2010 and not even 2015. The Republic of Belarus is a reality. Reality for Europe, reality for the European Union, reality for each of your countries. Therefore, I urge you to live with it and stay in touch with this reality,” Vladimir Makei said.

He admitted that Belarus and various EU nations do not share views on certain things. “However, as soon as our country was put to the first serious test, you started calling for sanctions again right away. This way you have doubled down on those who do not believe in our sovereign ability to build equal and mutually beneficial relations with your states,” the minister noted.

In his words, Belarus already experienced sanctions before and did not cease to exist. “We will pull through, just like before. You know the results of these sanctions. We all will just lose time. We will also momentum our countries and societies need in this fast-changing world,” Vladimir Makei said.

He noted that Belarus is going through a difficult period now. “Which of your countries has not gone through painful stages of national maturation? Let us do it, too. It is better to do it with your help, but without attempts to coerce and use political, financial and other obvious instruments. I want to apologize, but we will view it as nothing else but malevolent actions causing damage to the sovereignty of the Republic of Belarus and we will not be able not to respond to it. However, I still believe in a possibility and good prospects of normal, good neighborly, civilized interstate relations between our countries. This will benefit everyone: Belarus, Europe and entire Eurasia. I ask you to think about it without emotions,” the minister underlined.

As of the morning of August 20, the agrarians of the Minsk region threshed more than 1 million 885 thousand tons of grain, the Committee on Agriculture and Food of the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee reported.

By the way, some farms have already completed the harvest - Kletsk, Kopyl, Nesvizh, Starye Dorogi, Uzda and Stolbts regions.

The largest loaf for today is in Slutsk region - 153.8 thousand tons of grain have been threshed. It is followed by Minsk region - 147 thousand tons, Kopyl region - 145.8 thousand tons are harvested.

The top-list by yield is headed by Nesvizh region. There, grain growers harvested at 67 c/ha, then Kletsky and Minsk - 56 c/ha. The Dzerzhinsky District is also among the leaders, where grain crops yield 55 c/ha. The average yield in the Minsk region is 41 c/ha.

Belarus needs changes but not through civil strife or revolutions, Belarus' Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei said in his address to the members of the Belarusian diplomatic service, BelTA has learned.

“Changes are needed, no one denies it. But not at the cost of civil confrontation or revolutions as in this case the number of victims and negative consequences will be many times bigger. We have already been thrown back many years in our development due to the events of the recent days,” said Vladimir Makei.

He stressed that this is not what the Belarusians and the country deserve. “The evolutionary process, even if it is slow, is always more effective in the long term. We deserve better, where everyone is a personality, a countryman, a partner and a whole world for each other, not ‘red' or ‘white',” the minister said.

Vladimir Makei added that Belarus is now going through a painful stage of development of its independence, a civil society. “Please, always analyze the situation. It is difficult to do it with such an information flow, but you can do it,” the minister said addressing the colleagues. “At this crucial moment for our country, it is more important than ever to defend foreign policy interests of Belarus. They remain intact. Put aside your emotions and ask yourself: can I still be of use to the country in my area of work? I know my answer, because I do not want to lose my country. If your answer is yes, then cast aside your doubts and let us continue doing our job responsibly! Perhaps it was this point in history that fate was preparing you for!”