Viktar Ivashkevich calls the calls the Government plan “a shock”

The politician Viktar Ivashkevich has called the action plan of the Belarusian Government - to ensure a balanced economic development under the conditions of change in the official Belarusian ruble exchange rate - "a shock, but not a therapy".

Under the plan there are envisaged higher prices for commodities, bringing them closer to those of neighbouring countries, and also the payment by the population of utility costs to the extent of thirty percent, and a number of other unpopular measures:

“Such assessments have already passed by, saying that this is a “shock therapy”; I disagree with that, because there is no therapy in this, there really is not. It’s just a shock – without therapy. It is like in the anecdote when the question is posed: how can you increase milk production while reducing the feed of cattle? Answer: feed them less, milk them more. Also I think the authorities have made this decision: why should we take credit, when you can rob your own people?”

In the words of Ivashkevich, “The Belarusian government’s economic program could be called shock therapy, if along with increased public spending there were opportunities to earn money. But real liberalization of the economy once again did not happen,” the politician said.