Fixed-capital investments in Belarus 12.5% up in Q1 2013

MINSK, 16 April (BelTA) – In Q1 2013 fixed-capital investments in Belarus rose by 12.5% in comparable prices from January-March 2012 to Br35.9 trillion in current prices, representatives of the National Statistics Committee told BelTA.

In Brest Oblast fixed-capital investments exceeded Br5 trillion in Q1 2013, 153.1% as against Q1 2012. The figures in Vitebsk Oblast were Br5.2 trillion and 182.3%, Gomel Oblast Br5.5 trillion (134.2%), Grodno Oblast Br3.3 trillion (82.6%), Minsk Oblast Br6.4 trillion (101.9%), Mogilev Oblast Br2.8 trillion (78.4%). In the city of Minsk fixed-capital investments dropped by 4.3% to Br7.3 trillion in current prices.

In January-March 2013 as much as Br17.5 trillion worth of construction and installation work was performed, 6.6% up on Q1 2012 in comparable prices. The share of construction and installation work was 48.8% of the total volume of fixed-capital investments.

The amount of money spent on buying machines, equipment, and vehicles in Q1 2013 totaled Br15 trillion, 41.9% of the total investments and 121.7% as against Q1 2012. Imported machines, equipment, and vehicles accounted for 63.3% of the investments. As much as 21.1% of the imported equipment was bought in Belarus.

In Q1 2013 the processing industry (24.6% of the total investments) accounted for the bulk of the fixed-capital investments. It is followed by the generation and distribution of electricity, natural gas, and water (15.7%), agriculture, hunting, and forestry industry (11.7%), transport and communication (8.1%).