Belarus govt to ask Lukashenko for Br250m in additional COVID-19 response funding
<p> MINSK, Oct 19 - PrimePress. The Belarusian government intends to ask President Alexander Lukashenko to allocate an additional Br250 million ($102.17 million at the exchange rate of the National Bank of Belarus) to combat COVID-19. </p> <p> </p> <p> Belarus Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko made a statement to this effect at a conference meeting with Lukashenko to discuss the situation with COVID-19 in Belarus on 19 Oct 2021. </p> <p> </p> <p> “The government is using all available financial instruments to ensure the sustainable operation of the industry. Of course, the increasing incidence of COVID-19 makes us look for additional sources of financing. Therefore, in the near future we will ask the head of state to provide almost Br250 million (a corresponding draft executive order will be finalized soon), including Br140 million ($57.21m) for the purchase of medications and vaccines. We will also ask to take into account Br108 million ($44.14m) when specifying certain budget indicators,” Golovchenko said. </p> <p> </p> <p> In his words, it would take about Br250 million more to pay COVID benefits to medical workers in the fourth quarter. This money will be designated from the national and local budgets. “The sums that we have earmarked for a year were actually used in three quarters,” the prime minister explained. </p> <p> </p> <p> Some Br825 million ($337.15m) of budget funds have already been spent on benefits to medical doctors this year and almost Br1.3 billion ($531.26m) since the beginning of the pandemic. </p> <p> </p> <p> “The burden on the budget is very large. But even in these most difficult conditions, we have been able to maintain high rates of industrial production by tapping the internal reserves. Thus, the impact of the pandemic on the national economy is great, but we have been able to cope with it. We will find the lacking funds without detriment to other sectors of the economy,” said Golovchenko. </p> <p> </p> <p> In his words, this year more than Br7.6 billion ($3.11bn), or 5% of GDP, has been earmarked from the national budget for healthcare. About Br6 billion ($2.45bn) has already been spent. </p> <p> </p> <p> Golovchenko also informed that in Dec 2021 SvetlogorskKhimvolokno company will start producing medical gloves after the launch of two lines with a capacity of at least 300,000 gloves per day each (about 200 million gloves annually). The $10m project will be implemented in two stages: the first one - December 2021, the second one - July 2022. </p> <p> </p> <p> SvetlogorskKhimvolokno plans to produce medical examination and surgical disposable gloves from both acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and natural latex. End </p>
2021-10-20
Primepress
Belarus govt to ask Lukashenko for Br250m in additional COVID-19 response funding
MINSK, Oct 19 - PrimePress. The Belarusian government intends to ask President Alexander Lukashenko to allocate an additional Br250 million ($102.17 million at the exchange rate of the National Bank of Belarus) to combat COVID-19.
Belarus Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko made a statement to this effect at a conference meeting with Lukashenko to discuss the situation with COVID-19 in Belarus on 19 Oct 2021.
“The government is using all available financial instruments to ensure the sustainable operation of the industry. Of course, the increasing incidence of COVID-19 makes us look for additional sources of financing. Therefore, in the near future we will ask the head of state to provide almost Br250 million (a corresponding draft executive order will be finalized soon), including Br140 million ($57.21m) for the purchase of medications and vaccines. We will also ask to take into account Br108 million ($44.14m) when specifying certain budget indicators,” Golovchenko said.
In his words, it would take about Br250 million more to pay COVID benefits to medical workers in the fourth quarter. This money will be designated from the national and local budgets. “The sums that we have earmarked for a year were actually used in three quarters,” the prime minister explained.
Some Br825 million ($337.15m) of budget funds have already been spent on benefits to medical doctors this year and almost Br1.3 billion ($531.26m) since the beginning of the pandemic.
“The burden on the budget is very large. But even in these most difficult conditions, we have been able to maintain high rates of industrial production by tapping the internal reserves. Thus, the impact of the pandemic on the national economy is great, but we have been able to cope with it. We will find the lacking funds without detriment to other sectors of the economy,” said Golovchenko.
In his words, this year more than Br7.6 billion ($3.11bn), or 5% of GDP, has been earmarked from the national budget for healthcare. About Br6 billion ($2.45bn) has already been spent.
Golovchenko also informed that in Dec 2021 SvetlogorskKhimvolokno company will start producing medical gloves after the launch of two lines with a capacity of at least 300,000 gloves per day each (about 200 million gloves annually). The $10m project will be implemented in two stages: the first one - December 2021, the second one - July 2022.
SvetlogorskKhimvolokno plans to produce medical examination and surgical disposable gloves from both acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and natural latex. End