In Belarus, direct foreign investment on a net basis for January-February amounted to $140.5 million.

On March 26, Minsk /BELTA correspondent/. In Belarus, net direct foreign investment (excluding debt to the direct investor for goods, works, services) for January-February 2012 amounted to $140.5 million. This was reported to BELTA by the Ministry of Economy, commenting on the results of the implementation of the most important parameters of the forecast for the socio-economic development of Belarus for the first two months of 2012. For 2012, the forecast for attracting net direct foreign investment is set at $1.2 billion. Thus, the forecast implementation was 11.7%. Moreover, this result was mainly achieved through organizations without departmental subordination (83.7% of the total volume), the Ministry of Economy noted. The main receipts of net direct foreign investment were recorded in the following types of economic activity: trade; repair of automobiles, household goods and personal items ($26.6 million, or 25.8% of the annual target), manufacture of machinery and equipment ($17 million, or 25%), wood processing and production of wood products ($15.8 million, or 27.2%), communications ($14.2 million, or 38.4%), manufacture of food products, including beverages, and tobacco ($12.7 million, or 42.3% of the target for Belgospishcheprom concern), manufacture of electrical equipment, electronic and optical equipment ($10.2 million, or 31.9%). The Ministry of Economy also noted that the share of investment in machinery, equipment, and vehicles in the total volume of investment in fixed assets in January-February 2012 is higher than projected - 42.9% (with a forecast of 42%). At the same time, the decline in investment in the active part of fixed assets (87.7% compared to January-February 2011) is occurring at a slower pace compared to the decline in construction and installation work (84.5%).

The ministry also commented on some other qualitative indicators of economic development for the two-month period. Thus, in January-February 2012, the share of innovative products shipped in the total volume of shipped products amounted to 19.2%, with an annual forecast of 13.5-14.5%. The excess of forecast values was mainly due to the leading results achieved in the sub-sections "Metallurgy and manufacture of finished metal products" (22.4% versus a forecast of 20%), "Manufacture of machinery and equipment" (45.9% and 35%), "Manufacture of electrical equipment, electronic and optical equipment" (25.3% and 24%), "Manufacture of food products, beverages and tobacco products" (6% and 4%), "Manufacture of coke, petroleum products and nuclear materials" (37.1% and 14.5%), "Chemical production" (8.9% and 7.0%). According to trade balance data, in January 2012, a positive balance of foreign trade in goods was formed, amounting to $126.1 million. The main source of its formation is a significant reduction in the negative balance of foreign trade in intermediate goods (energy carriers, raw materials, materials, and components). The situation in foreign trade in oil and petroleum products determined the ratio of exports of goods to industrial production volumes for the republic as a whole at 58.9%. According to the forecast for 2012, this ratio should be at the level of 65% and 35%. Apart from the "Belneftekhim" concern, the achievement of the established value for the ratio of exports to industrial production has not been ensured by any ministry or concern, the Ministry of Economy noted. Compared to January 2011, calculated at current prices, the growth rate of exports of goods and services according to balance of payments data was 174.2%, and imports - 129.9%. The balance of foreign trade in goods and services was positive and amounted to $315.3 million. As a result, the ratio of the balance of foreign trade in goods and services to GDP increased to 7.7% (forecast for 2012 - 2.3-2.7%). Whereas in January 2011, the ratio was negative - minus 11.6% of GDP with a negative balance of $495 million. The energy intensity of GDP for January 2012, compared to January 2011, increased by 14.9%, with a forecast decrease of 3-4%. This is due to a ninefold increase in imported fuel used for the production of non-fuel products compared to January 2011, the ministry commented on this fact. -0-

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