President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said during his visit to Brest voblast that excitement in the foreign exchange market had been triggered by an increase of car customs duties. "Of course we've been greately distressed with the car fever. We have seen, there is more than $1 billion there. There has been a suggestion imposing this fee now. But this is a blow to the people, why should we press our people," he said.
«We will stand this, let people buy a car which they want, replace it, if necessary,» said the President, BelTA informs.
The President also said that he could not put pressure on the citizens, importing vehicles for resale, just «because of the currency.» «But honestly: if there is currency — go and buy, sell it, if there’s no currency — we will not take more from the gold reserve — it’s sacred. We need to replenish it,» said Alexander Lukashenko.
«What can we do if people want to buy? That’s why I’ve instructed the National Bank and the Government in no case to attack the people. Let the people fulfil their desire,» the president said.
According to him, the situation on the currency market will calm down in a few months and people will start to change the currency for rubles. «So be calm about this. Yes, there has been some buying currency fever. It is much less now, has begun to decline. The exitement will subside, but people won’t claim that we have prevented them from buying what they want,» he said.
According to Alexander Lukashenko, the increasing number of private vehicles leads to the necessity of providing appropriate services, and hence new jobs are being created, fuel sales are increasing, as well as the tax base. «The main thing is to sell more than to bring from abroad. That’s enough to live off someone else,» he said.
As Telegraf previously reported, uniform import duties on foreign cars are to come in force in the Customs Union on July 1, 2011. According to preliminary data, their level in Kazakhstan and Belarus would be raised to that of Russia.
