According to the National Statistics Committee of Belarus, consumer prices have increased by 6.8% since the beginning of the year. Only in April, prices rose by 1.7%. Groceries have become 1.8% more expensive for the month (YTD - up by 6.9%), while that of nonfood goods - 1.2% (5.3% YTD).
As for the food items, prices of fish and seafood (0.04%), oil (1.7%), some types of cereals (0.6%), potatoes (3.2%) and some types of fruit (1.5%) decreased slightly last month. The cost of other commodities, on the contrary, went up.
As for the non-food items, only prices of furniture and detergents fell by 0.01% last month, while the cost of the other categories only increased.
Prices and tariffs for paid services have also been raised. For a month, they have grown by an average of 2.5% and by 9.9% YTD. Travels in the commuter and urban transport have become most expensive (20% and 17.4% increase, respectively), as well as maintenance of premises (12.9%), health and sanitary services (6.7%).
Head of state Alexander Lukashenko believes curbing price hikes and restoration of the pre-crisis level of income as one of the most important tasks of the authorities in 2012. The President assured in his message to the Parliament and the people on May 8 that there would be no price lawlessness in Belarus.
"We should not allow a price increase of more than 20% this year. We shouldn’t be afraid of what our people will think of us," said Alexander Lukashenko.
