OREANDA-NEWS. On March 05, 2008 the Government has approved the employment assistance programme of the Republic of Belarus for 2008. The relevant decision is stipulated in No.314 Resolution of the Council of Ministers, reported the Official website www.government.by.

Commenting on this document, the head of the main department of Employment Policy and Population Issues of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Nikolai Kokhonov, told that “the objective that was set consists of two indissolubly united parts – to make sure that the number of economically active population reaches 4,535 million and to curb the unemployment rate in the socially accepted bounds that is 1,2-1,4%”.

According to the programme, 155 thousand jobs will be created with the help of different sources of financing (2,9 thousand of them will account for budget loans). In small towns up 21,9 thousand new jobs will be created.

”To enhance social security and well-being of people living in small towns, it is essential to provide them with a well-paid job, and, of course, to prevent the growth of the unemployment rate. Every small town dweller should have confidence in their future, in being able to provide themselves and their families with a decent living”, Nikolai Kohonov said. The solution of the small town problem demands a complex approach. The governmental employment assistance programme is designed to ease the tension at the employment market of small towns enlisted in the programme (in 2007 there were 29 such towns, in 2008 – 36).

The programme prioritizes employment assistance for the most vulnerable groups of population, including women and the youth. This will be achieved through a series of practical measures adopted by the programme, namely professional training, re-training and raising the level of skills of the unemployed to meet the needs of particular employers. The number of such people will be increased from 30% to 40% of the total number of the unemployed, assigned for professional training.

The total budget of the programme exceeds Br178,2717 billion. The money has been allocated from the Social Security Fund of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection (almost Br117,6266 billion), local budgets (Br18,0586 billion), own resources of employers (Br40.2075 billion), bank loans (Br3,379 billion).

The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, the Minsk oblast and district executive committees are commissioned with the task to supervise the implementation of the programme and to make sure that all the resources will be used appropriately.