MINSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th July, 2020) The Belarusian government has by far disbursed close to 23 million Belarusian rubles ($9.4 billion) in state support to coronavirus-affected businesses, Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko said on Wednesday.
Belarus is among few countries that have not locked down economy and restrict movement of people during the pandemic.
"Under Order 143 'On Economic Support,' businesses and entrepreneurs have received about 23 million Belarusian rubles in preferences and tax relief. This process is ongoing, and applications for support are being analyzed," Golovchenko said in a statement, as quoted by the government's press service.
According to the Belarusian prime minister, some industries even managed to grow during the pandemic and thus prevent a sharp decline in GDP. Among such industries, Golovchenko listed agriculture, civil engineering, information and communications.
The prime minister also commended the government's hard intervention in price regulations, including on essential goods, saying that this prevented an increase in prices on the consumer market.
As of Wednesday, Belarus confirmed 64,224 coronavirus cases, including 443 related deaths and 52,854 recoveries.
