MP: Belarus’ national budget retains social focus

This year, 45% of the consolidated budget will be earmarked to finance the social sector, Chairman of the Standing Commission on Budget and Finance of the House of Representatives Lyudmila Nizhevich told BelTA.

"The budget has retained the social focus. Some 45% of the consolidated budget funds will be earmarked to finance the social sector. Appropriate expenses are projected to increase by 8% over 2021. Overall expenses of the national budget are forecast to go up by 4.4% from 2021. Thus we see that the government will continue to support the social sector," Lyudmila Nizhevich noted.

Particular attention is paid to salaries of public sector employees. "The average salary of public sector employees is projected at Br1,241, or 80% of the national average. In order to raise salaries, the government plans to increase the average annual base rate applied to budgetary organizations, to pay a one-time allowance  for health recreation in the amount of one official salary, to put together a reserve fund, and also to make a number of incentive payments, fringe benefits, allowances. The mechanism for paying allowances to medical workers working with COVID patients will remain in place,” the MP said.