On June 15, Minsk /BelTA correspondent/. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko is confident in the Belarusian economy's ability to ensure an average salary growth to $500 in equivalent terms in 2012. The Head of State expressed this view on June 15, while receiving a report from the Chairperson of the Board of the National Bank, Nadezhda Ermakova, BelTA was informed by the press service of the Belarusian leader. "Talk that we will not reach an average salary of $500 in equivalent terms this year is empty. The activities of many enterprises testify to this. For example, in Minsk, the average salary is approaching $500 and will be higher. Why can't others? Others must too," the President emphasized. At the same time, the Head of State noted: "Private businesses should set themselves the task of achieving an average salary not of $500 this year, but closer to $700. And at state-owned enterprises, this figure should exceed the $500 mark. This must be strictly fulfilled." "Talk that something is lacking for this is groundless. Then the question arises: why do almost all managers, specialists, and executives of private enterprises drive Mercedes cars today? Is it that the company has no money to pay people a decent salary? It does. Let them sell their Mercedes cars and pay people their salaries," the President said. The Head of State also spoke about the public sector: "Look at the expenses there. Let them reduce the cost price to a minimum and raise people's wages to a normal level. This is not some kind of fear of something, as some of our "sviadomyia" and yellow press write. If there is fear, it is only for the sake of ensuring that employees' families live normally." The President stated that the requirement to increase salaries must be strictly fulfilled. "Of course, this is the main task for the government, but the National Bank should not stand aside," the Head of State added. He also stressed that it is no less important to fulfill the tasks set in the field of construction, including housing: "These are also not secondary issues." "We must also solve the problem of military pay; we are moving slowly here, perhaps we need to speed up," Alexander Lukashenko specifically noted. -0-

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