On February 1, Minsk /Elena Prus - BELTA/. New minimum consumer budget (MCB) amounts for eight socio-demographic population groups are in effect in Belarus from February 1 to April 30 of the current year. This was reported to a BELTA correspondent by the Department of Integrated Problems of Social and Labour Sphere Development of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection. The per capita minimum consumer budget for a family of four, as of February 1 of this year, amounts to Br1,101,440 per month. This is 24.3% higher than the standard that was in effect from November 1, 2011, to January 31, 2012. According to specialists, the main expenditure items of the per capita MCB for a family of four, in December 2011 prices, are as follows: food products - 55.1%, clothing, linen, footwear - 20.2%, housing and utility services - 5.1%, household services, transport, communication - 4.7%, cultural and household goods - 8.2%, cultural and educational events and recreation - 1.3%, contributions and payments - 3%, sanitary and hygiene items, medicines - 2.4%. The Ministry noted that per capita minimum consumer budgets have also been approved for a young family of three - Br1,150,220, the working-age population - Br1,383,320, pensioners - Br1,069,700, students - Br1,051,650, children under 3 years of age - Br847,200, children aged 3 to 6 years - Br1,030,270, children aged 6 to 18 years - Br1,223,070. In accordance with legislation, the minimum consumer budget represents the expenses for acquiring a set of consumer goods and services to satisfy the basic physiological and socio-cultural needs of a person. The MCB is used as a social standard for forecasting changes in the population's living standards, strengthening social support for citizens in need, and substantiating minimum levels of state social guarantees. -0-

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