OREANDA-NEWS. On May 18, 2009 President Alexander Lukashenko met with Premier Sergei Sidorsky who informed the Head of State on the country’s economic performance in January-April 2009 and on the action taken to ensure Belarus’ stable social and economic development, reported the Official website president.gov.by.

Following the President’s orders, the Government designed additional measures to bolster the national anti-crisis programme which was adopted in Belarus in late 2008. In the course of the Government’s recent report to the President, Alexander Lukashenko gave specific instructions regarding how to minimize the negative impact of the world financial and economic crisis on Belarus and sustain uptrends in the economy. All the instructions were taken into consideration as the anti-crisis programme was being adjusted. The emphasis was placed on stimulating further growth of such economic sectors and transport, construction and the services sector.

Good progress has been made in realization of the national housing programme, said the Premier. In January-April, around 1.5 million m? of residential housing were built and opened to public use, or 25 per cent of the 2009 target.

Action is now taken to boost construction to 9 million m? in 2009, which requires a considerable financial and material input. There is a need to see how to improve the supply of construction materials and equipment for developers, as well as address the specialist training issue. All these issues will be dealt with in the near future, said the Premier. According to the Prime Minister, construction of housing for those on the housing improvement waiting list will be the main priority.

As for the manufacturing sector, industrial goods production rose 0.9 per cent points in January-April 2009 from Q1 2008. The rise was fuelled by a general invigoration in the financial and economic activity and production growth reported by organisations subordinate to the Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Architecture and Construction, Ministry of Trade and the concerns Belneftekhim and Belbiofarm.

‘It is not a dramatic rise, but the economy has steadied. We are gradually building up our economic performance, securing a foothold in international markets,’ said the Premier. The Ministry of Industry used to export around 24 per cent of its aggregate output before the crisis struck; now the figure is somewhere around 40 per cent. Although these are once-only shipments, due to them it is possible to raise international trade and explore new markets.

Capital investments rose 16.3 per cent in January-April 2009 from the same period last year.