Jaraslau Ramanchuk: “We Face Guaranteed price Hike” :: Charter'97 :: News

A well-known economist Jaraslau Ramanchuk, commenting on the signed agreements, told that Belarus has lost as it capitulated to a really closed of selling Beltransgaz shares. According to Mr. Ramanchuk, it could not be done in such a regime, it is a negative way of privatisation.

However Belarus has won as it has gas at $100, and not at $200 per cubic metre. “Undoubtedly, it shows that the Kremlin has won, and the official Minsk has got a fright. Belarus cannot receive gas and oil blows simultaneously and not make reforms. It means the end of the policy of the last 5 years in the sphere of oil and gas.

Agreement on selling shares is a very unfavourable occurrence for Belarus. It is not good to privatize companies in this way, without a tender, careful investigation of the problem, under pressure. I think that there are serious claims to this deal, and until Gazprom would not receive its shares, I would not be able to believe that this bargain has come off.

We are facing a guaranteed price hike in housing and communal services and transport, fuel is to become more expensive, possibilities for financing investment programs are to decrease. I see threats for stability of the financial system and bank system,” the economist said in an interview to Radio Svaboda.