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National Export Development Program for
2006-2010 to Increase High-Tech Exports
In a framework of the implementation of the national export
development program for 2006-2010 Belarus intends to increase the share of
high-technology commodities in total exports to 37 percent by 2010 from the
current 19 percent, Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov said.
"Exports of high-technology commodities, including energy and
resource-saving solutions will double. Emphasis will be placed on the
pharmaceutical sector, instruments and microelectronics,” Sergei Martynov
said.
The export development program aims to increase the share of
services in the country’s total exports. Exports of services are to rise by
$1.1 billion by 2010 under the basic forecast and by $2.8 billion under the
optimistic forecast. In 2004 Belarus exported $1.7 billion worth of
services, up by 15 percent on the year.
The drafters of the program suggest a 4-stage foreign
economic activity strategy. The export development program will serve as a
basis at the first stage; the second stage will use detailed cooperation
plans with key regions and countries (the list is being developed by the
Foreign Ministry); the third stage provides for branch-wise export
development strategies, while the fourth stage deals with key exporting
enterprises. Sergei Martynov added that the program would be analyzed and
adjusted every year depending on the situation on foreign markets, unlike
the previous program, which was not flexible enough and turned out to be
“slack”, the Minister said.
Government Approved National
Demographic Security Program for 2006-2010
The Council of Ministers approved the national demographic
security program for 2006-2010 to stabilize the demographic situation in the
country.
The program was developed due to stop the rapid ageing of
Belarusian population. Today the share of people aged over 65 is at 14.5
percent of the total population.
The program aims at overcoming the ageing tendency by
increasing life span, birth rate, up to 9-10 per 1,000 people, and
decreasing of the overall death rate, down to 12-13 per 1,000 people.
Besides, it is important to preserve positive external migration, and
decrease the number of people leaving villages.
The program includes three subprograms: Decreasing Preterm,
Especially Preventable, Death Rate and Increasing Life Span subprogram,
Stimulating Birth Rate and Strengthening Families subprogram, and Optimizing
the Migration subprogram.
Belarus to spend $2 Billion in
2006-2010 for Chernobyl Aftermath
Belarus intends to allocate about $2 billion for the state
Chernobyl program for 2006-2010.
Since the accident 137,600 people have been resettled from
the affected areas. For these people more than 66,000 houses and apartments
have been built, and 239 villages have been erected in uncontaminated areas.
At present 1.3 million hectares of contaminated land are used in
agriculture, which is comparable to the area under grain.
In 2004, Belarus received $83.2 million worth of foreign
humanitarian aid and $218 million were allotted from the budget to deal with
the consequences of the disaster. In 2005 it is scheduled to allocate $246
million from the state budget.
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