The issue of increasing utility tariffs for the population is being considered in Belarus - Ministry of Housing and Communal Services

March 22, Minsk / Yekaterina Markovich - BELTA /. The issue of increasing tariffs for housing and communal services for the population of Belarus is currently under consideration. This was announced to a BELTA correspondent by Anatoly Shagun, Deputy Minister of Housing and Communal Services. "An increase in tariffs for housing and communal services is an inevitable process. Options for increasing the cost of housing and communal services for the population are being considered today, but the extent and timing of the price increase have not yet been finally decided," the Deputy Minister emphasized. According to Belstat, tariffs for housing and communal services in 2011 increased by an average of 21.6% compared to 2010. The cost of gas supply for the population increased by 72% last year, electricity supply by 16.7%, water supply by 14%, and technical maintenance by 8.5%. Anatoly Shagun also reported that the share of payment for housing and communal services in Belarus for a two-room apartment with an area of 48 sq.m. in the income of a two-person family remained at the 2011 level and is 7-18% depending on the population category: those working in the real sector of the economy or the public sector, and pensioners. "This indicates that the increase in tariffs for housing and communal services was tied to the increase in population income," he noted. In addition, the Deputy Minister commented on the increase in heating charges in February utility bills: "The increase in heating charges in February of the current year was due to the fact that low temperatures persisted for a sufficiently long time during the month, which increased the consumption of thermal energy. Moreover, the current year is a leap year - the payment for February housing and communal services is 2-3% higher than in a normal year." -0-