MINSK, 4 August (BelTA) – State control over prices for socially important goods must be maintained, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he delivered his annual address to the Belarusian people and the National Assembly on 4 August, BelTA has learned.
Simultaneously with the efforts to increase the income of citizens in Belarus, the government will continue working to ensure that the purchasing power of the population is maintained at the proper level. “The inflation is low, almost 5%. Many reformers have again started talking about full liberalization. But the recent events have shown that it is important to keep state control over prices. If we did not control prices, our ‘responsible' trade would have lined up their fat pockets," Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
He recalled that the prices for several dozen high-demand goods were regulated in almost manual mode. “The effect was good. People appreciated it," the president concluded.
It is important to define, once and for all, the list of socially significant goods, the prices for which people are most concerned about. “All government bodies, trade unions should be involved in price control efforts,” the head of state stressed.
