OREANDA-NEWS. February 02, 2010. 2010 should become a year of a considerable growth of the export potential of Belarusian companies, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky said at a session of the Council of Ministers on 2 February.

“This year should become a year of new opportunities for developing the export potential of Belarusian companies. The relevant strategies have been adopted, and these are the issues we are to consider today,” Sergei Sidorsky said.

According to Sergei Sidorsky, the trade deficit continued growing in 2009 and totaled \\$4.8 billion as against the \\$1.5 billion annual forecast. The export potential of the companies has not been used to the full, the Prime Minister said. In January-November 2009 the export of products of the Industry Ministry totaled 49% over the same period in 2008. The export of the Construction and Architecture Ministry made up 52%, etc. The government has been taking necessary measures to stimulate the domestic demand, support the GDP-forming companies.

Sergei Sidorsky stressed the necessity of increasing the contribution of services in the economic growth. “We have been implementing the relevant integrated service development program. However, the planned growth indices for services were not reached in 2009,” he said. It, first of all, concerns the services of transport, utilities, insurance, physical education and sports. The volume of paid tourism and hotel business services reduced.

The head of government pointed to the worsening financial activity of the organizations of the real economic sector in 2009. “The financial parameters of the companies worsened, the losses increased by more than two times to Br1.3 trillion. The biggest number of loss-making companies was in the Industry Ministry (27.6%). This index made up 29.3% for the Agriculture and Food Ministry, 32% for the Bellegprom concerns and 32% for the Bellesbumprom companies. The losses soared five times among the companies of the Industry Ministry, three times among the Bellesbumprom concerns and doubled by the Belgospishcheprom concern. It is a serious sign for the government to interfere,” Sergei Sidorsky said. Financial issues remain the most important for the development of the country’s economy, he stressed. “This year we should considerably gain in the industrial production, reduce warehouse stocks, improve the financial activity of the company,” the PM said.