MINSK, March 25 (BelTA) – Belarus’ draft corrected budget for 2009 provides for essential changes in the revenues and the expenses, including inter-budget transfers. The budget still aims to achieve zero deficit, representatives of the Belarusian Finance Ministry told BelTA. When the forecast is specified, several economy development scenarios are considered. Despite the reduced budget expenses the Finance Ministry intends to keep to these approaches in order to preserve the present quality level of social services, to ensure social orientation of the budget and support priority areas of the national economy. In order to alleviate negative consequences of the global financial crisis tax incentives are used among other things. In recent years the ongoing reform of the taxation system has been aimed at reducing the tax burden on real economy companies, liberalising the economic system and raising its investment attractiveness. In 2008 the tax burden in Belarus shrank by 1.3% of the GDP. The pace is preserved in 2009, keeping the tax burden at 30.1% of the GDP. The Finance Ministry will continue working on it in the future but will be more careful when making decisions on planned tax burden reductions in 2010. Apart from that, the inventorying of all state, branch and regional programmes is close to completion in Belarus. The efforts have resulted in the optimisation of the measures which are no longer topical or poorly effective in the present economic conditions. Programme development procedures are being revised and the responsibility of state agencies for their effective realisation is being increased.

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