MINSK, 19 October (BelTA) – Additional funds will be allocated for COVID-19 response from the reserve fund of the Belarusian president, Aleksandr Lukashenko said at a meeting to discuss the situation with COVID-19 in Belarus on 19 October, BelTA has learned.
“I will see what we have in the reserve fund of the president. I will see how much we have saved. We will use these funds to support our doctors, to stock up on medications and other materials,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
According to the president, COVID-19 response measures have been effective in Belarus. In his words, the reason is that production was not stopped in the country during the first wave of the pandemic. Export brings foreign currency. Today we sell more than we consume,” the head of state said. “Right now we cope with it by our own means, and I think we will cope with it in the future if we mobilize resources.”
Belarus' Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko said during the meeting that Br7.6 billion, or 5% of the GDP, has been allocated for healthcare from the budget.
“The government is using all available financial instruments to ensure the sustainable operation of the industry. Of course, the increasing incidence of COVID-19 makes us look for additional sources of financing. Therefore, in the near future we will ask the head of state to provide almost Br250 million (a corresponding draft executive order will be finalized soon), including Br140 million for the purchase of medications and vaccines. We will also ask to take into account Br108 million when specifying certain budget indicators,” Roman Golovchenko said.
