Lukashenko wants state price regulation continued
<p> MINSK, Aug 4 - PrimePress. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko considers it necessary to continue the state control over pricing. He spoke about this in his annual address to the nation and the parliament on August 4, the presidential press office reports. </p> <p> </p> <p> Belarus should once and forever list socially important goods, the prices of which worry the people the most. “All government agencies should control the prices together with the trade unions,” he said. </p> <p> </p> <p> According to the president, as household incomes are on the rise, efforts will be made to maintain the adequate purchasing power of the population. “We have achieved low inflation around 5%. Many reformers are talking again about total liberalization. But the recent events have shown how important the price regulation is. If we had not curb prices, our “socially conscious” traders would line their fat pockets,” Lukashenko said. </p> <p> </p> <p> He reminded how the prices of several dozen goods in high demand were regulated “manually.” “And we all saw a pretty good effect. People appreciated that,” said Lukashenko. He also called on to ensure that “pension growth outstrips rises in prices.” </p> <p> </p> <p> Lukashenko promised to double the average wage in Belarus in the next five-year period. He said that retirement pensions would be maintained at 40% of the average wage. </p> <p> </p> <p> As previously reported, the average nominal accrued wages in Belarus stood at Br1,248.9 ($510.2 at the official rate of the National Bank of Belarus) as of late June 2020. </p> <p> </p> <p> Trade Ministry’s decree No.30 of April 15, 2020 set the maximum importers’ markup at 10%. The maximum trade markup (including wholesale) to the manufacturers’ selling prices of socially important goods was set at 15-30%, in particular, milk and dairy products – 15%, bread and bakery products, sausages, canned meat – 20%, vegetables – 30%, fresh apples – 30%, chicken eggs – 25%, butter – 20%. In July, the ministry extended the 90-day state regulation of prices of socially important goods (since April 17, 2020) for another 90 days until October 15, 2020. </p> <p> </p> <p> The list of socially important goods includes fresh fish (cyprinids), fresh-frozen fish with or without head, gutted and ungutted (cyprinids, cods, herring, mackerel, argentine), butter, wheat flour, sunflower and rapeseed oil, table salt, white polished rice, semolina, millet, oat flakes without flavoring or other additives, dry pasta without durum wheat flour, rye and rye-wheat bread, wheat bread, wheat flour bakery products (loaves), meat (beef, pork, chicken and broiler chicken), cuts and large-sized semi-finished products, cooked sausages, fresh chicken eggs, pasteurized cow milk, kefir from cow milk, sour cream, cottage cheese, cheese (hard, semi-hard), baby food (dry mixes, cereals, canned), fresh vegetables (potato, beet, carrot, cabbage, onion, cucumber, tomato, apple), and black long leaf tea. End </p>
2020-08-05
Primepress
Lukashenko wants state price regulation continued
MINSK, Aug 4 - PrimePress. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko considers it necessary to continue the state control over pricing. He spoke about this in his annual address to the nation and the parliament on August 4, the presidential press office reports.
Belarus should once and forever list socially important goods, the prices of which worry the people the most. “All government agencies should control the prices together with the trade unions,” he said.
According to the president, as household incomes are on the rise, efforts will be made to maintain the adequate purchasing power of the population. “We have achieved low inflation around 5%. Many reformers are talking again about total liberalization. But the recent events have shown how important the price regulation is. If we had not curb prices, our “socially conscious” traders would line their fat pockets,” Lukashenko said.
He reminded how the prices of several dozen goods in high demand were regulated “manually.” “And we all saw a pretty good effect. People appreciated that,” said Lukashenko. He also called on to ensure that “pension growth outstrips rises in prices.”
Lukashenko promised to double the average wage in Belarus in the next five-year period. He said that retirement pensions would be maintained at 40% of the average wage.
As previously reported, the average nominal accrued wages in Belarus stood at Br1,248.9 ($510.2 at the official rate of the National Bank of Belarus) as of late June 2020.
Trade Ministry’s decree No.30 of April 15, 2020 set the maximum importers’ markup at 10%. The maximum trade markup (including wholesale) to the manufacturers’ selling prices of socially important goods was set at 15-30%, in particular, milk and dairy products – 15%, bread and bakery products, sausages, canned meat – 20%, vegetables – 30%, fresh apples – 30%, chicken eggs – 25%, butter – 20%. In July, the ministry extended the 90-day state regulation of prices of socially important goods (since April 17, 2020) for another 90 days until October 15, 2020.
The list of socially important goods includes fresh fish (cyprinids), fresh-frozen fish with or without head, gutted and ungutted (cyprinids, cods, herring, mackerel, argentine), butter, wheat flour, sunflower and rapeseed oil, table salt, white polished rice, semolina, millet, oat flakes without flavoring or other additives, dry pasta without durum wheat flour, rye and rye-wheat bread, wheat bread, wheat flour bakery products (loaves), meat (beef, pork, chicken and broiler chicken), cuts and large-sized semi-finished products, cooked sausages, fresh chicken eggs, pasteurized cow milk, kefir from cow milk, sour cream, cottage cheese, cheese (hard, semi-hard), baby food (dry mixes, cereals, canned), fresh vegetables (potato, beet, carrot, cabbage, onion, cucumber, tomato, apple), and black long leaf tea. End