OREANDA-NEWS. November 13, 2010. The minimum wage in Belarus may be further increased 12.5% to 450,000 Belarusian rubles (Br) on January 1, 2011, Deputy Economy Minister Andrei Tur told.

In November-December 2010, the minimum wage is expected to be increased 54.7% to 400,000 rubles.

“Our plans [to raise the minimum wage on January 1, 2010] have not changed, but it will be important for us to see how the rise in incomes and the new wage rate impact the macroeconomic situation,” Tur said.

Last year, the increase in wages was virtually frozen because of limited budget capabilities and recommendations of the World Bank. “But this year GDP has been growing faster: by 6.6% year-on-year in the first nine months, whereas the budget and expenditures on wages had been based on a much smaller figure,” Tur said, adding that the situation was good enough for another increase in the minimum wage.