On August 11, Braslav District / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. Aligning Belarusian prices for staple food products with Russian prices is a necessity. This viewpoint was expressed today at a meeting with the work collective of the agricultural production cooperative "Mayak Braslavsky" by the Chairman of the Committee of State Control of the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Yakobson, BELTA correspondent reports. In neighbouring Russia and Ukraine, prices for dairy and meat products are several times higher than in Belarus. According to Alexander Yakobson, this has led to Belarusian goods being massively bought up by enterprising Russians and Belarusians and exported outside the country. There are no borders or customs barriers in the way of this "business". "The country's budget is being exported along with the products, as milk and meat production in the country is subsidised from the budget," explained Alexander Yakobson. In his opinion, an increase in prices for staple food products in Belarus and bringing them up to the Russian level are inevitable. "People need to understand, we have no other way: it is necessary to align prices to the level of neighbouring regions, but there should be no sharp increases, gradually, by 3-5% per month," said Alexander Yakobson. At the same time, the head of the control department is convinced that wages should increase with rising prices. "Wages should grow on the condition that everyone conscientiously fulfils their duties at their workplace, increases productivity, and reduces costs," he stressed. Today, the Chairman of the CSC, Alexander Yakobson, visited Braslav District on a working trip, where he familiarised himself with the development of agricultural production, the progress of the harvesting campaign, met with the work collectives of the agricultural production cooperative "Mayak Braslavsky" and the branch of the unitary enterprise "Vitebskhlebprom" - the Braslav Bakery, and answered workers' questions. -0-

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