Leu Marholin: Let ruler and officials live within their means

Unlike Lukashenka and officials, Belarusians live within their means.

Economist Leu Marholin spoke to charter97.org about the remark by the deputy head of Lukashenka's administration who urged Belarusians to live within their means.

“There's only one opportunity to live beyond one's means – taking loans from credit institutions and banks. I think a small number of Belarusians do it. Most people take loans if they know how to pay them. If it is so, we can say that we live within our means,” he thinks.

The expert added that trying to preserve power the authorities gave more money to those, on whom they depend.

“It is law-enforcement bodies, the army and officials. The official average salaries are about 600 dollars in the country and 700 dollars in Minsk, but Belarus's economy can afford average wages not higher than 350 dollars,” Leu Marholin said.

The economist is confident the state and the authorities live beyond their means.

“If the state has been living on foreign loans for some years, it definitely indicates that it lives beyond its means. It is the state, Lukashneka and his officials with expensive Swiss watches and German cars that should live on its means,” Marholin thinks.

Aliaksandr Radzkou, a deputy head of Lukashenka's administration, said that citizens of the country should learn how to live within their means and appreciate what they already have in conditions of severe market competition and new economic reality.