Too little received

Belarus counts to get the full amount of the credit from the EurAsEC Anticrisis Fund.

This statement was made today in the “parliament” by Belarusian minister of finance Andrei Kharkavets, a BelTA correspondent reports.

Speaking about the credit from the EurAsEC Anticrisis Fund, Andrei Kharkavets noted: “This money was included into the estimated budget and  economic security parameters. We plan to receive them in full amount.”

As charter97.org website reported earlier, Belarus received the third tranche of the EurAsEC Anticrisis Fund's loan of $440m..

“We confirm the arrival of the third tranche of the EurAsEC Anticrisis Fund's loan. The tranche was received in full amount - $440m. The money was put to the country’s gold and foreign currency reserves,” a representative of the National Bank of Belarus said.

The Anticrisis Fund Council approved granting a $3m loan to Belarus on June 3. The loan was expected to be received in several tranches in 2011-2013. The loan was given on condition of quality and structural criteria Minsk is to fulfill for macroeconomic stabilization.

In 2011, Belarus received two tranches at a total sum of $1.24b. Two $440m tranches, one of which was to arrive in Minsk in February, were expected in 2012.

The  minister said the rates of alcohol and tobacco excise duties would be gradually increased in Belarus to reach the level of the duties in Russia.

“We will toughen our duty policy on tobacco and alcohol products. We will raise the duty rates gradually,” Kharkavets said.

The minister added the position had already been agreed upon with Russia. The staged increase in excise duties rate is provided for by the anticrisis action plan, Belarus is to fulfill as part of the country's obligations to the  EurAsEC Anticrisis Fund to receive the stabilization loan.

“We will try to move our excise duties as close to Russia's level as possible,” he said.

The minister reminded Russia offered to unify the excise duties rates in the territory of the Customs Union.