Lukashenka: “If ship has got into a storm, it can overturn”
- 13.01.2009, 14:19
Visiting the enterprise “Belkamunmash”, Alyaksandr Lukashenka spoke about devaluation, denomination and privatisation.
About denomination
Alyaksandr Lukashenka stated that the leadership of the country does not have plans for denomination of the Belarusian ruble.
“Today we are not going to carry out any denomination. No denomination could be held without the president. I do not have draft decrees about that,” A. Lukashenka said in an interview on Tuesday, Interfax informs.
As said by him, “denomination, like devaluation, cannot be held in one day”. “3-4 months in advance a decree should be signed, and after that money are changed in a quiet and calm manner,” A. Lukashenka said. He added: “If we would intend to carry out denomination, we would announce in advance, 3 or 4 months earlier”.
The Belarusian leader called “complete foolishness” the opinion that denomination would be held in Belarus with the objective to further transition to the Russian ruble. “Why should we exchange papers first, and then immediately change them for other papers,” the Belarusian president said.
Returning to the topic of denomination, A. Lukashenka said: “We shall tell when it would happen, and we won’t make a mystery of that”.
About privatisation
Lukashenka has stated that the government does not have plans to adjust privatization programme, stating that enterprises won’t be sold for cheap in the conditions of the crisis.
“We will not adjust privatization plans. But what a fool would sell when everything is collapsing, stock markets are collapsing. We will not sell the enterprises at the new low prices, but at the previous ones,” Alyaksandr Lukashenka said.
“As long as prices for real assets and enterprises have dropped, what’s the use to sell them?” the Belarusian leader added.
As said by him, “plans remain plans, but we shall sell at old prices”. “We won’t sell anything cheap,” he underlined.
About entrepreneurs
Alyaksandr Lukashenka believes that in present situation in Belarus enterprises should be given more freedom.
“There should be no tightening of the screws” in the present situation. On the contrary, we should give more freedom,” he said.
“Today or tomorrow I will sign a decree on declarative principle of business entities’ registration. One will come, give a statute, pay state duty, about 150-200 Euro, and go start your work,” Lukashenka said.
On devaluation
Lukashenka stated that this year no one-off devaluation of the national currency is planned.
“The chairman of the National bank’s board of directors has been ordered clearly: plus minus 5% (changes of the ruble exchange rate to the basket of currencies - Interfax),” he stated.
A. Lukashenka expressed doubt that devaluation of the ruble should become a topic for conversation. “This topic should not be discussed probably. When one talks a lot, it causes suspicion in many. But still it should be talked about, so that people won’t reproach you later,” he said. The response of the population of the country who started to buy goods after the devaluation.
“Why should you buy 10 TV-sets, prices for goods will slump,” the leader of the state underlined. As said by him, “people should live quietly the way they lived before”. “If you have bank deposits in rubles, dollars or Euro, let them stay. It is very dangerous to convert deposits in one currency,” the president of the country believes.
“The most important thing for people today is not to zig and zag. When it’s storming, people are not running from one board to the other, as the ship may overturn,” A. Lukashenka said.
Lukashenka said that the Belarusian authorities “said honestly why the currency was devaluated. The reason is not even in the IMF (conditions for receiving a loan), but in manufacturers,” Lukashenka said. “The most important thing for me is to maintain manufacturing,” the leader of the state said.
He noted that the National Bank “has footled away new year holiday season”. “They should have brought as much currency as needed. An artificial foreign currency deficit was created,” the president said.
As said by him, “today there is enough foreign currency in the country”. “In February we will receive the second tranche of the loan from Russia, the IMF will give 1 billion (dollars), Venezuela has transferred half a billion dollars,” Lukashenka stated. Besides, he noted that “looking at the IMF, other creditors open gates for loans”.