IN JANUARY-FEBRUARY, BELARUS’ GDP 9.9% UP
 In January-February Belarus’ GDP increased by 9.9%, Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky reported to President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko during a working meeting on March 13 – the Head of state’s press service informed. According to the Premier, the two-month performance shows that the governmental industry-wise programmes are expected to yield qualitative results within the year. Sergei Sidorsky added that in January-February the industrial manufacture was 12-13% up what shows that the investment programmes have been successful.
According to Sergei Sidorsky, Belarus’ foreign trade last year amounted to $58 billion. In January 2008, the trade reached $5 billion, $2 billion more as against the same period 2007.
Belarus has boosted exports of machinery construction products, high-technology equipment and also farm products, mainly to Russia, Ukraine and EU countries.
In January-February capital investments grew 12% over the same period last year.
Housing construction has been gathering momentum in the country. According to the Prime Minister, there are also chances to construct more than 5 million square metes in 2008. The volume of construction and assembly jobs has been growing on the heels of a strong inflow of investments.
In February the inflation came to 0.7% which is a good indicator considering the global processes such as mortgage crisis, growing prices for foodstuffs.
The President was reported about Belarus’ participation in Shanghai Expo 2010. The head of state instructed the government to address the expo organizers with a request to let Belarus have a separate booth.
Alexander Lukashenko also approved a range of investment projects. The matter concerns the construction of new companies in the country. Around 40-20 large production facilities are expected to be commissioned this year.
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Information support from the Republican Unitary Enterprise Belarusian News Agency
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