OREANDA-NEWS. On August 29, 2008 the President of the Republic of Belarus approved the major parameters of the country’s social and economic development forecast for the year 2009, reported the Official website http://president.gov.by.

The rate of growth of gross domestic product in 2009 is predicted to range between 10 to 12 per cent.

The manufacturing industry will be the major driving force behind the expected economic growth; its output will rise by 10-12 per cent.

In agriculture, the implementation of the state village revival programme 2005-2010 will be continued, which will make it possible to raise agricultural production by 8.5-9.5 per cent in 2009.

The prognosticated rate of the GDP growth in 2009 will make it possible to pursue a balanced policy toward raising salaries and production efficiency. The rate of growth of the real earnings of the population in 2009 is expected to range between 14 to 15 per cent.

The rate of growth of capital investment is expected to be between 23 to 25 per cent.

In 2009, there will be more work on improving the service sector. The rate of growth of chargeable public services will be within the range of 13-14 per cent; retail trade is expected to expand by 16-17 per cent.

The meeting of the main social and economic targets set for the year 2009 will help improve further the quality of life of the population by ensuring further sustainable economic growth, supporting positive economic trends in the country and upgrading the national economy.