17 December, Vitebsk /Diana Kurilo - BELTA/. The growth rate of goods export in the Vitebsk region in 2012 should be at least 150%. This task was set today at a joint meeting of the presidium of the Vitebsk Regional Council of Deputies and the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee by the Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, Alexander Kosinets, BELTA correspondent reports. "The Vitebsk region is undertaking challenging targets in 2012, but all of them are taken from the report of the Head of State at the permanent seminar for leading employees of republican and local state bodies on the topic of import substitution and are fully achievable," the governor believes. In his opinion, the forecast for the socio-economic development of the region for the next year must provide for indicators of gross regional product at the level of 105%-109%, investment in fixed capital - 101-102%, growth rate of production in agricultural organizations - 120%, retail trade turnover - 112-115%, sales profitability in agriculture - 10%, energy saving indicator - minus 8%. The Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee specifically emphasized the need to increase product exports to achieve a positive foreign trade balance. According to preliminary data, the foreign trade balance for enterprises of communal ownership and without departmental subordination at the end of 2011 will be positive in the amount of $38 million. Next year, it is necessary to maintain this indicator, and for this, it is necessary to increase the export of goods by 50%. "At least 65% of the manufactured products should be sold abroad, while increasing exports can be achieved through local raw materials: peat, timber, clay - and bringing the processing depth to 100%," stated Alexander Kosinets. Export of services should develop at the same high rate, at the level of 150%. The implementation of the set tasks, according to the governor, is realistic. For example, the Smolensk and Pskov regions are interested in attracting Vitebsk builders to work in their territories. Alexander Kosinets considers it necessary, in the context of the creation of the Unified Economic Space of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan, for enterprises located in communal ownership of the Vitebsk region to seek ways of integration with enterprises of partner countries. "Communal industry needs to integrate with enterprises of the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan so that there is no unnecessary competition and we support each other," he added.