The National Bank increases support for the public sector, as paid medical services expand

Lukashenka aims to boost his approval ratings in the regions by criticising local officials, as he did during a recent tour of the Mogilev and Vitebsk regions.

The National Bank continues its strategy of economic stimulus, announcing a record-breaking increase in the broad money supply of almost BYN 3 billion.

The government is counting on continued large-scale support for the public sector, even at the expense of Russian investments. Prime Minister Haloucanka announced plans to commence serial production of a twin-engine light aircraft.

The government continues to degrade social guarantees, commercialise state services, and increase fees.

• The Council of Ministers doubled the number of medical facilities that provide paid services on weekends.
• The cost of housing and communal services has increased.
• As the new academic year approaches, Belarusian universities have increased tuition fees by an average of 7%.
• The government introduced additional restrictions on the use of family savings.

Tax officials continue to supplement the state budget with expropriations and large fines from businesses and opponents of the Lukashenka regime, including BYN 16.3 million from citizens involved in protest activities.

In the Vitsebsk region, tax inspections detect violations in 100% of cases, and businesses are compelled to support local budgets.

Agricultural estate re-registration has caused a significant decline in numbers as the state seeks to limit the private sector in the economy, in line with Lukashenka’s personal dislike for small and medium-sized businesses. Restrictive and repressive measures against critics of the Lukashenka regime continue to intensify.

The new law “On Citizenship” will enable the authorities to revoke the citizenship of Belarusian emigrants for “extremist activities” and “causing serious damage to the interests of Belarus”. Security forces affirm that repression will continue and that political emigrants must return and serve jail sentences in order avoid losing citizenship.

The Ministry of Justice is proceeding with a final purge of opposition political parties and non-governmental organisations. The regime aims to eliminate all means of opposing the Lukashenka regime within the law and will continue divert funding to the security forces and the state sector.