On 9 July President Alexander Lukashenko met with Premier Sergei Sidorsky to receive his report on the results of the socio-economic performance of the Republic of Belarus in January-June 2009.

According to the Prime Minister, all the measures developed to counter the crisis in H1 2009 were fulfilled, which fostered positive changes in the performance of ministries, government agencies, and improved the economic situation in the regions.

In spite of the increasingly stiff competition, new steps were made to diversify Belarus’ foreign trade, explore new markets and secure a foothold there.

According to the National Statistical Committee, the nation’s economic performance in H1 2009 was modest, although there were clear positive trends compared with the fist quarter of the year.

The rate of growth of the nation’s gross domestic product is expected to be no lower than it was in the first quarter of the year.

The industrial production index in January-June 2009 was 96.5 per cent, up 0.9 per cent points from January-March. The rise came due to the production growth reported by the organizations subordinate to the Ministry of Construction and Architecture by the concerns Belneftekhim, Bellegprom, and Belgospishcheprom.

Agricultural production in all categories of agricultural companies rose 6.6 per cent in January-June 2009 from the same period in 2008, up 0.3 per cent from January-March 2009.

A total of 3.09 million square metres worth of residential housing was built in H1 2009 across Belarus, which stands as the highest rate in the past 15 years. The construction plan for the year 2009 was completed by 51.5 per cent, and residential construction rose 13.6 per cent from the same period in 2008.

The return on sales of products in the manufacturing sector, construction sector, and in the majority of organizations subordinate to ministries and concerns rose in January-May 2009.

As of 1 July 2009, the unemployment rate accounted for 0.9 per cent of the workforce. The situation in the labour market is stable, manageable, and remains within the target limits. No massive job losses and layoffs are expected in the near future.