Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Economic Reforms, Aleś Alachnovič, assessed the current economic development of Belarus live on “Obychnoye Utro”.
Here are the key points from the conversation:
📌 “After the full-scale war in Ukraine, Russia became the only country through which Belarus can trade. This monopoly enables Russian enterprises to set high prices to the detriment of Belarus”.
📌 “Russia has imposed a ban on the export of its oil products, including gasoline, which Lukashenka is now successfully exploiting. Belarus is selling it at prices lower than if it were selling to Ukraine or Poland, but for the regime, it’s crucial to keep selling”.
📌 “Belarus buys oil from Russia at the lowest price but is forced to overpay for logistics through Russia. However, if you look at the overall balance, in 2023-2024, Belarus is back to receiving peak subsidies from Russia. Belarus has saved billions of dollars by purchasing cheap oil and gas”.
📌 “Thirty years ago, Belarus and Poland were roughly on the same level in terms of GDP. Now, salaries in Poland are three times higher, pensions are four times higher, and people have more opportunities to realize their potential. This is why we observe mass migration of Belarusians to Poland, not the other way around”.
