Leanid Zaika: In Belarus economy is being contracted

Factory managers should live according to the economy laws, not by Decrees of the President, - the economist is convinced.

However, right now the situation is quite the opposite. And, accordingly, drop in industrial output is observed in the country. This opinion in the talk with the EuroBelarus Information Service shared Leanid Zaika, the head of the analytical center “Strategia” (Strategy).

National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus has published the figures showing that the volume of the industrial output dropped by 4.8 per cent in comparison with the previous year. Why did it happen so?

- GDP rate grew by 1.1 per cent, industrial production dropped by 5 per cent, whereas the drop in export amounted to 19 per cent. Economy is being contracted, in many segments of industrial production, too - the head of the analytical center “Strategia” explains. – It should be noted that the sales of trucks cut by half. Belarus is a member of Customs Union; and such a sale’s slump is a result of upgrowth of contention.

Leanid Zaika explains that it is not that the number of inefficient factories is growing; actually, “the unit weight of factories is rather low”. The problem is that the sales have decreased and the amount of stocked goods is increasing.

If Ukraine lowered the purchase of Russian oil by a third, we only lowered the rate of cargo transportation. We have difficulties with selling goods, - specifies Leanid Zaika.

How can the situation be improved?

- In our casefactory managers should live according to the economy laws, not by Decrees of the President; the behavior of factories is not economical, but rather political and social. We have to change the management strategy and the strategy of policy-makers’ actions, - Leanid Zaika is convinced.