Vice Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan, Armand Evniev, on June 9 stated that the level of state support to agro-industrial complex in the Customs Union's member-countries must not exceed 10% of the gross output value of agricultural production. At present, in Kazakhstan it is estimated at 4.5%, in Russia — 2.5%, while in Belarus it is 18%.
«We started to discuss the issues of single economic space formation in terms of AIC, and the first question, which also arises in negotiations in the WTO, is the level of state support … There is an evidentially unequal level of support», Kazakh Deputy Minister said, Kazakhstan Today informs.
«During negotiations we have, at least, agreed on the fact that the level, everybody should aspire to, is the level of 10 per cent support, that is, Belarus should gradually reduce the level of state support to 10%, while Russia and Kazakhstan — to raise the level of state aid», Armand Evniev said.
As Telegraf previously reported, Belarus’ agro-industrial complex received in 2005-2009 more than 7.24 billion dollars of direct and indirect subsidies from the state. It was reported in mid-February 2010 by Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus, Ivan Bambiza.
And on March 1, the president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, signed a decree № 92, which stipulates to reduce the amount of AIC financial obligations in 2010 by 1.6 trillion rubles. In accordance with the document, the amount of financial obligations of agricultural organizations, which should be fulfilled in 2010, will decrease from 9.3 to 7.7 trillion rubles, including through providing these organizations with installment of debt payment, reached by January 1, 2010, for ten years.
