Leanid Zaika: Hide Your Money

The “5-year plan” will end up with robbing people again.

Economist, CEO of the analytical center “Strategy” Leanid Zaika has made such statement commenting on the authorities’ fantastic promises in the published draft program of the socio-economic development of Belarus for the years 2016-2020.

– The authorities promise the GDP growth by 15% and an apartment available for every family, in their “program”. How close are these promises to reality?

– This is practically it. The country has entered not just the crisis phase, but the phase of the depressive to-and-fro. The Belarusian GDP fell by 3%, and by 2% as well. The authorities’ prognostics looks absolutely not serious: they add up approximately 2% for 5 years. This looks like bouncing on the toes. A Belarusian citizen now conditionally earns $300, so it will give the people 2% of income annually, which is - $6.

Any clearheaded Belarusian, who graduates a university with honours, should realize which “favourable” situation has been prepared for them: your salary will grow by $6 annually in average. Live, work and vote for everything they are offering you here.

Actually, this is a lame situation, the authorities can offer no inspiring perspectives.

Back in the Soviet times, when they held the CPSU congresses, 12-15% was considered a fading pace, they usually depictured some 18-20% , or 10-25%, haphazardly.

Therefore, I am convinced that Belarus has started a depressive movement to some bad place.

Economically speaking, when someone tells me: “Listen here, Assistant Professor, we guarantee that your salary will grow by $6 annually, herein Lukashenka, being a “man of principle”, orders to raise communal payments by $5 every year, then every Belarusian should ask themselves, what will happen to us if they give $6 and take away $5 through the communal payments.”

In a situation like this, I can only advise Belarusians should actively study foreign languages and, being the nation of guerrillas, take good care of the woods.

I feel pity for this “All-Belarusian Assembly”, there is absolutely no need for it – to get together to discuss the salary raise by $6 a year seems pointless. It would be better if they got together somewhere at the beach, they would have much better and more useful time. All the figures in the suggested “program” are ridiculous.

Look, Lukashenka ordered to create 50 thousand jobs. This is, besides, also one of the key positions for perspective. We have 4,5 million, which makes 1%, so we need to create one new job place per 100 existing. Does it look like some merit, or the new colossal role of the intellectual and engineering elite of the country? This is ridiculous. I pity the time wasted at such assemblies, and pity these plans.

– The authorities also promise in their program total nonintervention into the private business, in the upcoming five years.

– As for the nonintervention into the private business, you better ask Yury Chyzh about it, I think he will give the best answer for that. Or Hanna Shareika, the director of Vitsebsk broiler plant. As for me personally, I fear such statements, like we won’t intervene into your affairs. Businessmen should be attentive to such signals: guys, hide your money, they said they “won’t intervene”.