Review 2020 & Forecast for 2021
Highly profitable enterprises will contribute to National Development Fund
Category status:
Based on performance in Q1 2017, eight highly profitable Belarusian enterprises will allocate BYN 6.3 million to the National Development Fund. The Fund was created in 2005. Annually, a number of high-profit state enterprises and enterprises with the state's share in the shareholder equity contribute to the Fund, in addition to taxes. As of April 1st 2017, there were more than 220 enterprises in Belarus with a profitability of sales exceeding 30%. Due to the economic recovery, the list of contributors to the Fund is likely to expand and by the year-end, payments to the Fund should increase. The bulk of the funds would come from military-industrial enterprises, pipeline transport and the chemical industry. In 2017, the Fund aims to receive some BYN 120.2 million from well-performed enterprises based on their results in January-December 2017.
Minsk attempts to make up for image losses from military exercises by opening to Western values
Image: Catholic.by
The Belarusian authorities regard the Catholic conference as yet another international event to promote Minsk as a global negotiating platform. Minsk's proposal to organise a meeting between the Roman-Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church is rather an image-making undertaking than a serious intention. However, the authorities could somewhat extend the opportunities for the Roman-Catholic Church in Belarus due to developing contacts with the Catholic world.
Minsk is attempting to lay out a mosaic from various international religious, political and sportive events to shape a positive image of Belarus for promoting the Helsinki 2.0 idea.
Belarus' invitation to the head of the Holy See for a meeting with the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church should be regarded as a continuation of her foreign policy efforts in shaping Minsk's peacekeeping image and enhancing Belarus' international weight. The Belarusian authorities are aware that their initiative is unlikely to find supporters among the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow. In Russia, isolationist sentiments prevail.
In addition, for domestic audiences, the authorities make up for the lack of tangible economic growth with demonstrations of growth in Minsk's authority at international level through providing a platform for religious, sportive and other dialogues.
"Security Donor": in a different region and a different context
The protests and state of emergency in Kazakhstan, followed by the intervention of the CSTO, temporarily deprived the Belarusian-Russian...
A constitutional referendum in exchange for the lifting of Western sanctions?
While Western countries are distracted by the crisis in Kazakhstan and tensions with Russia over Ukraine, the Belarusian regime hopes for a...
Pressure on Yara delivers results; diasporas support a unified position on the referendum
The influence of civil society and political organisations on the Belarusian political agenda is somewhat diminished by the transfer of...
Minsk demonstrates its inability to competently evaluate and respond to external challenges
The recent CSTO peacekeeping operation in Kazakhstan demonstrated that the Belarusian regime cannot adequately assess and respond to...
The regime musters loyalists ahead of the referendum
The regime is mobilising state institutions to consolidate loyalty to Lukashenka in preparation for the February referendum.
Game of Presidents: season 2
In 2021 Belarus oriented itself firmly towards Russia.
The Belarusian crisis has become a global problem
2021 was characterised by the growing confrontation in relations between Belarus and Western countries.
Relocation, structural strengthening in exile and development of online services
In 2021, democratic forces made successful diplomatic contacts with Western capitals, but mainly due to the scandalous actions of the...
Complete failure
In 2021 all the negative trends of 2020 were amplified.
Immersed in defensiveness
In 2021 the ruling class failed to restore public confidence in state institutions (although they barely tried).
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Annual Review 2019 and Forecast for 2020