Opinions & Interviews

Lukashenko calls for immediate response to attempts to withdraw capital from Belarus

MINSK, 18 January (BelTA) – Measures designed to counteract the withdrawal of capital from Belarus must kick in immediately. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the relevant statement at a meeting with top officials of the Council of Ministers, BelTA has learned.

The counteraction of capital withdrawal was one of the topics covered by the conference. Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked that Belarus encounters barriers and prohibitions at every turn and has to live and operate in complicated economic conditions.

The head of state said: “Sanctions represent a traditional practice that has been used time and time again by so-called world leaders to put pressure on the countries that fail to toe the line. Unfortunately, it is a fashionable economic trend if one can say so. In this manner both the United States of America and the European Union have been getting rid of competition for a long time. We offer some of the best terms to foreigners: preferences, privileges, infrastructure, and naturally competences. Feel free to come and work here. But not for the sake of exploiting our nation. And if someone tries that, we have mechanisms to counteract that and make them see reason.”

Nevertheless, government oversight agencies report facts of asset withdrawal to unfriendly countries and even purposeful extraction of profits beyond Belarus’ borders. “There are companies. They may be ours or someone else’s. They earn profit, some money, and extract it from Belarus, put it in deposits. The money earned by our people gets extracted beyond Belarus’ borders and works for the benefit of various scoundrels that enforce sanctions against us,” the president said.

“This is why today I want to hear a comprehensive report on why such precedents happen. Because in practice prohibitive measures must kick in immediately and without any delays. What do oblast governors do about it? You are the ones, who are primarily interested in investments and a zero-deficit budget,” Aleksandr Lukashenko added.

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