Belarus cannot reach a merchandise trade surplus by 2015 as planned in the draft national export development program, considered at the meeting of the presidium of the Council of Ministers on February 8. This was stated by the head of the National Bank Petr Prokopovich at the meeting.
Chairman of the National Bank pointed out that the parameters of the programs, listed in the draft, cannot lead to a surplus. Since 115.9% rate of exports growth and 115.8% of imports are expected in 2011, the difference is equal to 0.1% only. This, says Petr Prokopovich, absolutely does not guarantee a positive balance of foreign trade, as it was planned. «Exports and imports are growing at the same pace. What are guarantees for everything to be different from it used to be before?» BelTA quotes the head of the National Bank.
Petr Prokopovich added that export growth was planned to outstrip import growth over the past five years. It is not provided in the new five-year period, beginning from 2011.
According to the draft export development program for 2011-2015, its main task is to ensure 2.18 — 2.22 growth of exports of goods and services and to achieve a merchandise trade surplus in 2014 with the modernization and competitiveness of economy.
As Telegraf previously reported, the head of the Belarusian government Mikhail Miasnikovich reported on January 27 that the economy needed a major structuring. «We’re actually missing funds from exports to ensure imports — consumer, intermediate, investment,» he said.
