Page 35 - BELRptSept18

9.0 Industry & Sectors 9.1 Sector news
9.1.4 Construction & Real estate sector news
The trade turnover of the Belarusian-Russian cement market totalled $400mn over the last four years, the press service of the Belarusian Architecture and Construction Ministry told BelTA on August 3. Cooperation between Belarusian and Russian cement industry companies was invigorated when a bilateral document was signed in 2014 to allow the sale of Belarusian cement in Russia via Eurocement Group. The measure allowed the demand for Belarusian cement to be satisfied on the Russian market. As much as $400mn worth of cement was exported in 2014-2018 as a result. The ministry is currently in talks with the Russian holding company Eurocement Group on expanding the business. Belarusian Architecture and Construction Minister Anatoly Cherny and Eurocement Group president Mikhail Skorokhod the discussed results of joint work in the first half of 2018 and future tasks.
The export of cement and construction services from Belarus soared in the first half of this year , reports the Belarus' Architecture and Construction Minister Anatoly Cherny on August 5.
The export of cement and construction services was up 15% in the first half of 2018 compared to the same period a year ago and was worth $234mn Cherny said in an interview on STV Channel.
Belarus has also resumed cement exports after cancelling them in May and June due to a domestic shortfall. Importers increased the price of cement on the domestic market, and the consumer demand spiked. Belarusian enterprises had to reduce the volume of cement supplies for export by 100,000 tonnes to cover the needs of the domestic market.
Belarusian construction workers are in high demand in the rest of Europe building housing in Hungary, the Baltic states and especially Russia, which remains a priority for the government.
“A school for 1,000 students has been put into operation in Kaluga Oblast. A kindergarten has been built there. The construction of another school for 1,000 students in Kaluga has been launched this year. A similar project is considered in Syktyvkar in Komi. This is the construction of a school for 600 students and 1,200 students,” said Cherny.
The minister said that BYN5.13bn ($2.5bn) worth of construction and installation works were performed in the six months of this year. “It is 8.4% up from the same period a year ago. Today we are third biggest contributor to GDP, behind the manufacturing industry and wholesale trade,” the minister said, reports BelTA .
35 BELARUS Country Report September 2018 www.intellinews.com