Kochanova: Belarus’ response to pandemic has proved effective

Belarus’ response to the pandemic has proved effective, Chairwoman of the Council of the Republic Natalya Kochanova said as she addressed the 13th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament "Women at the center: From confronting the pandemic to preserving achievements in a gender-responsive recovery", BelTA learned from the press service of the upper house of the Belarusian parliament. “During the pandemic, Belarus has accumulated valuable experience. We have implemented a wide range of public health and medical measures to counter the spread of infection and to treat people. We have established the mechanisms of interaction between all branches of government The parliament and the government have adopted relevant legal acts,” Natalya Kochanova said.

The speaker recalled that Belarus did not impose the strict quarantine measures during the pandemic. Therefore, the decline in business activity and the economy as a whole was one of the lowest in the European region. In order to preserve the sectors that were subject to the negative impact of the epidemiological situation, a special presidential decree "On Supporting the Economy" was adopted. The document provided for deferrals on rental payments, reducing the amount of taxes, restructuring debts for energy resources. These industries included tourism, retail, catering, and transportation, where the majority of workers are women, she emphasized