Officials ask not to call them “marketers“

Deputy head of Lukashenka’s administration Andrei Tur and Minister of Economy Mikalai Snapkou answered who are more numeral in the government: market economy adherents or opponents.

One day the authorities promise more freedom for businessmen, another day they threaten to eradicate intermediaries completely, then they send prices in free floating, and later limit prices.

Euroradio has found out who is in control of the Belarusian economy, market -oriented economists or conservators.

Deputy Head of the Administration of the Presidential Administration Andrei Tur explains that there is no pure market at all. Nowhere!

"There is no pure market, or purely market economy problems, all of them are interrelated in a system-based way. They have both generic and specific character for every country and every stage of its ripening", he said.

He did his best in avoiding answering the question: "Who are more numerous in Lukashenka’s administration, supporters or opponents of the market?"

"There are people with realistic thinking there, and there are people with idealistic thinking. It is more significant that a market-oriented or conservative person. In any case, pragmatic realism based upon day-to-day realities, not on opinions and desires, is outweighing", said Deputy head of the Administration.

Though Economy Minsiter Mikalai Snapkou admits his preference for liberalism, but he does not dare to call himself a market-oriented person either.

"Looking at the liberalization from the point of view of its roots, I am certainly a supporter of freedom of enterprise, freedom of opportunities, freedom of responsibility. And from the point of view of economic processes, this word had become too negative. I prefer common sense", he said.

His common sense is enviable! Even though the difference in the age of deputy head of the administration and the Economy Minister is so little: Andrei Tur is 58, and Mikalai Snapkou is 42. However, Leonid Zaika, an economist, is sure that the age does not matter anything in the corridors of power, as all of them start to think in the same way soon.

"It is an absolute personnel standstill. Even when a young person comes to work at the government, a talented young person who had graduated a university as a brilliant student, had good marks, in half a year he turns into an ordinary officer of some ministry. A dull glance, senseless motions… There is no interest to a good economic theory in the country".