President Alyaksandr Lukashenka warned Belarusian officials against a sharp increase in housing and utility rates when speaking at the nationwide seminar on the improvement and development of the Belarusian housing and utility sector on Friday.
“There is a task for all: from 2018 on, we will increase the tariffs only once by 5$ and then there will be no increase unknown to me. The services should be affordable for people,” he said.
According to him, it is ‘inadmissible’ to hype up the public by the talks about the 100% reimbursement of utility costs ‘starting from tomorrow’, Alyaksandr Lukashenka stressed.
“We do not have to conform to anybody. Do not forget that the interests of people rather than of any international organizations are the major priority of our social policy,” the president said.
“As far as I know, such an increase in the utility rates [5$ in the equivalent] took place in January 2017. At the same time, the government, the specialized ministry, the Trade Ministry have increased the tariffs by 8% and continue to frighten people that there will be a 10% increase in December!” he warned.
The Belarusian leader instructed the government and the State Control Committee to conduct a detailed inspection on the subject and promised to approve the new tariffs by the president’s resolution.
belsat.eu, following belta.by
