BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

08/02/2007

Monthly wage in Belarus to go up to $340 despite gas price hikes

MINSK, February 8 (Itar-Tass) -- Belarus will be raising people's incomes despite the considerable growth in the prices of Russian fuels, Deputy Economy Minister Andrei Tur said on Thursday.

According to the previous forecast, the average monthly wage should grow by 8-9 percent this year to reach an equivalent of 340 U.S. dollars in December. Labour productivity is supposed to go up by 8.5-9.5 percent. This forecast remains in effect, Tur said.

In 2006 real wages in Belarus grew by 17.6 percent, while labour productivity rose by 8.2 percent.

Belarus rates third among the CIS countries after Russia and Kazakhstan as to the level of salaries paide to hired employees.

Source:

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=11233106&PageNum=0