In 2012, Vitebsk, Polotsk, and Orsha reached an average salary of $500 equivalent, while Novopolotsk reached $700.

All cities of regional subordination in the Vitebsk region reached a salary level of $500 in equivalent terms in 2012. This was announced today by the Chairman of the Committee for Labor, Employment and Social Protection of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Alexander Khristoforov, at the final board meeting of the department, according to a BELTA correspondent.

According to him, the average monthly salary for January-December and December 2012 was Br3.4 million and Br4.2 million, respectively, and increased by 2 and 1.6 times compared to the corresponding period in 2011. In the public sector and organizations of communal property, it increased by 1.9 times. The growth rate of real wages was 122% and 134%, respectively. In December, compared to January 2012, it increased by 39%.

In December 2012, Vitebsk, Orsha, and Polotsk reached a salary level equivalent to $500, while Novopolotsk surpassed the $700 mark in equivalent terms. In agricultural districts, the average monthly salary ranges from $406 in Beshenkovichi district to $480 in Orsha district.

Systematic work with organizations with a salary level of less than $200 in equivalent terms and those at risk allowed for a reduction in their number from 450 in December 2011 to 19 in December 2012.

Alexander Khristoforov noted that last year, the region continued its work on implementing flexible remuneration systems in commercial organizations. The main focus in this area was on methodological support for economic entities implementing new forms and systems of payment. Compared to the beginning of the year, the number of such organizations in the region increased 3.5 times, reaching 365 as of January 1, 2013.

Specific measures have been taken to increase the responsibility of managers for the performance of organizations' efficiency indicators, ensuring the parity of labor productivity and wage growth rates. These measures strengthen the dependence of employee wage growth on the financial and economic performance of organizations. In particular, amendments have been made to the contracts of 464 managers of communal property organizations, introducing incentive and responsibility measures for these managers regarding the achievement of indicators for net profit, sales profitability, labor productivity, and reduction of material intensity of products, goods (works, services).

The Regional Executive Committee has issued a corresponding directive to tighten approaches to determining the salaries of managers of organizations that do not ensure the average salary within the organization meets the industry average. "This approach allowed for an increase in the remuneration level for the main categories of employees in commercial organizations in 2012, and minimized the number of organizations with low wage levels," emphasized the committee chairman.

Under the conditions of liberalizing the economic activities of commercial organizations, particular attention was paid to employers' compliance with state guarantees in remuneration. In 2012, 13 legal entities and 173 officials were brought to administrative responsibility for violating the deadlines for salary payments stipulated by collective agreements. The total amount of fines was approximately Br90 million.

In 2013, the region as a whole is projected to achieve average monthly wage growth rates of at least 166%, and 126% in the budget sector. By December, the region should reach a salary of at least $800 in equivalent terms, which will be 1.7 times higher than the level in December 2012, concluded Alexander Khristoforov.

"The wage targets set for the current year are very serious. To achieve them, all regions must have specific plans and approach this work responsibly," emphasized Petr Grushnik, First Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection, who is participating in the collegium meeting.