The Belarusian Ministry of Finance projects a deficit of 1.5% in the draft budget for 2011

May 28, Minsk / Vladimir Matveev - BELTA /. The Ministry of Finance of Belarus is projecting a deficit of 1.5% in the draft budget for 2011. This was announced to journalists today by the First Deputy Minister of Finance of Belarus, Vladimir Amarin, according to a BELTA correspondent. According to Vladimir Amarin, the projected budget deficit is quite stringent at 1.5% of GDP. The same deficit is planned for the medium term until 2013. "Today, ministries are working on forming their main performance indicators for 2011, which must be submitted to the Ministry of Finance by June 1 for analysis and work with the ministries on specific parameters of next year's budget," he said. Answering a question about the sources from which the planned budget deficit is expected to be covered, Vladimir Amarin expressed confidence that sources for 1.5% will be found. He did not rule out that the Ministry of Finance would resume the placement of T-bills (short-term government bonds). Vladimir Amarin noted that T-bills were practically not placed in the past and current years. "Of course, we will plan for this so that this market starts working. Today, there is a need and demand for government securities to be in the portfolio of banks as a liquid instrument," said Vladimir Amarin. -0-