15 December, Minsk /Vladimir Matveev - BELTA/. No prohibitive measures will be introduced in the consumer market of Belarus. This was stated today by the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko in his opening remarks at the permanent seminar for senior officials of republican and local state bodies on the topic "Import Substitution as the Most Important Factor for Achieving Balanced Development of the Republic of Belarus Economy", as reported by a BELTA correspondent. "We have not introduced and will not introduce any prohibitive measures in the consumer market. Only through competitive struggle with imports, by improving the quality and consumer properties of products, can we win and sell our goods both domestically and abroad," stressed the head of state. Alexander Lukashenko disagreed with some assertions that it is not consumer goods that make a difference in import substitution and that other import items should be looked at. "We need to analyze every position, every product group, every dollar of imports, because by substituting imported goods and producing competitive products, we not only pay less foreign currency to others, but also earn more ourselves. And this means income for our people, employment, social and economic stability," believes the Belarusian leader. At the same time, Alexander Lukashenko noted that it is not about replacing everything with domestic goods. "This is unrealistic and unnecessary. But if there is demand, if our people are ready to buy these goods at any price, meaning there is a wide market, why are new capacities not being created to meet this solvent demand?" the President noted. -0-

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