OREANDA-NEWS. March 29, 2010. Net inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Belarus decreased 14.7% on the year in 2009 to USD 1.833 billion, told a representative in the National Bank of Belarus (NBB).

Gross foreign investment in Belarus totaled USD 2.453 billion in 2009, down 31.2% year-on-year.

FDI inflows as stockholder capital amounted to USD 1.412 billion, 57.6% of total FDI, down 19.2% from 2008.

Foreign capital inflows in the banking system reached USD 539.1 million, 38.2% of the total stockholder capital inflows, a rose of 40.1% from 2008. Reinvested earnings reached USD 409.7 million, 16.7% of the total, up 60%.

Loans and credits of foreign companies extended to subsidiaries located in Belarus amounted to USD 630.9 million, 25.7% of the total.

Most FDI inflows were from Russia, at USD 1.42 million, or 57.9% of the total, mostly because of the sale of another Beltransgaz stake to Gazprom. Furthermore, Russian investor contributed USD 460.9 million in the share capital of Belarusian banks in 2009.

Other major investors were from Iran, Cyprus, Lebanon, Kazakhstan, Germany, etc.

The most attractive sectors for investments, alongside the banking sector, were retail and public catering, transport, and general business infrastructure.

Belarusian FDI in foreign countries amounted to USD 27.4 million in 2009, compared to USD 8.9 million in 2008.