On August 25, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. Positive trends in revenue, profit, and profitability growth have been noted in the economy of the Vitebsk region in the first half of the current year. This was stated today at a meeting of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee by Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee Oleg Matskevich, as reported by a BELTA correspondent. The financial results achieved by the region's national economy complex for the first half of 2011 are characterized by positive trends: net profit increased by 66% compared to the same period last year and exceeded Br876 billion; profit from sales of organizations was 2.8 times higher than in the first half of 2010 and reached Br1.7 trillion. Overall, revenue from product sales in the region increased by 48%, and sales profitability rose from 3.3% in 2010 to 6.3%. In January-June, 83% of business entities operated profitably. At the same time, Oleg Matskevich noted that local management bodies are taking insufficient measures to improve the efficiency of the national economy complex. 5.7% of the accounted number of enterprises and organizations operated at a loss. An analysis conducted by the Regional Executive Committee showed that while the overall number of loss-making organizations decreased, the amount of losses incurred by them increased by 1.2% and amounted to Br83.5 billion. The largest losses are concentrated in 4 enterprises: Novopolotsk BVК Plant, Obol Ceramic Plant, and open joint-stock companies "OrshaStroyMaterialy" and "KIM". Their total loss accounts for almost 61% of industrial losses and about 44% of losses in the region. The main reason for the unprofitability of most enterprises is an excessively high level of costs, believes Oleg Matskevich. In every fifth organization in the region, the share of costs for the production of goods sold exceeds 90% of sales volume. Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Alexander Kosinets emphasized that the adoption of increased socio-economic development indicators by the region in 2011 is due to the need to improve people's quality of life. "The main thing is to ensure wage growth through effective work and strengthen the social component," stressed the governor. -0-

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