The head of the Minsk city executive committee ordered to double output of goods within the frame of the import substitution programme.
According to Mikalai Ladutska, Minsk imports 260 types of goods, which can be substituted by Belarusian analogues, news agency Minsk-Novosti reports.
400 types of goods can be included in the import substitution programme, the official said.
The management of consumer market was ordered to give a detailed description the range of goods in such big retail establishments as Gippo and Korona and smaller shops to learn what imported goods they purchase and sell.
Two weeks were given to revise the programme. Then the task will be given to all city enterprises regardless of their form of ownership.
As economist Leanid Zlotnikau said earlier, the rate of imported consumer goods, food and non-food, in Belarus doesn’t exceed 15 per cent. They include such products that are not produced in Belarus.
In other words, if Belarus bought oranges bananas abroad, it will continue it – no import substitution programme can help. The main volume of imported goods falls to intermediate goods the industry uses to produce Belarusian brands. So, Zlotnikau doesn’t understand how the import can be reduced, when it is reducing in accordance with decline in production in Belarus.
