{"id":124382,"date":"2025-01-31T13:02:19","date_gmt":"2025-01-31T10:02:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/124382\/"},"modified":"2025-01-31T13:02:21","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T10:02:21","slug":"belarus-construction-push-risks-economic-imbalance","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/124382\/","title":{"rendered":"Belarus\u2019 construction push risks economic imbalance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Housing construction is once again at the heart of Belarus\u2019 state investment program, alongside investments in the real sector and infrastructure. The government has traditionally relied on construction as a key driver of economic growth.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"block-image block-image-normal\">\n\n    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1128\" height=\"752\" src=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/stroyka_alexey-demidov_pexels.com_.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/stroyka_alexey-demidov_pexels.com_.jpg 1128w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/stroyka_alexey-demidov_pexels.com_-354x236.jpg 354w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/stroyka_alexey-demidov_pexels.com_-734x490.jpg 734w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/stroyka_alexey-demidov_pexels.com_-178x118.jpg 178w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/stroyka_alexey-demidov_pexels.com_-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1128px) 100vw, 1128px\" \/>\n    <figcaption>\n        \n                    <div class=\"block-image__author\">\n                                <span>(Alexey Demidov \/ pexels.com)<\/span>\n            <\/div>\n            <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">State dominance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The construction industry in Belarus is fully controlled by the government, which functions as both the customer and the contractor. Price controls and resource allocation make the sector highly dependent on government decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For families, housing represents stability. For businesses, construction provides essential infrastructure\u2014offices, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities. For the economy, it is critical infrastructure that fosters broader development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Housing sector faces persistent struggles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>During the 2010s, the government set an ambitious target of building 10 million square meters of housing annually. However, the sector overheated, and rising credit burdens triggered a crisis, leading to a sharp decline in construction volumes, which dropped to 4-5 million square meters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The sector remains non-competitive: state developers continue to build identical, low-quality housing, while prime plots are often allocated to foreign investors. However, many of these foreign projects have failed to meet expectations, as seen in developments near the National Library and the Minsk-Mir housing complex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, Prime Minister Raman Ha\u0142o\u016d\u010danka pointed out last year that demand for real estate loans remains low, likely due to high interest rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Efforts to revitalize rural areas have also fallen short. New housing projects have failed to attract young people, highlighting the government&#8217;s planning errors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-flourish wp-block-embed-flourish\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" title=\"Interactive or visual content\" src=\"https:\/\/flo.uri.sh\/visualisation\/21175250\/embed#?secret=54El1X7Liq\" data-secret=\"54El1X7Liq\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" height=\"575\" width=\"500\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cross-subsidies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The construction industry is closely linked to the housing and utilities sectors, which are among the most problematic areas of the Belarusian economy. While the government claims to support households with low utility tariffs, it fails to address the side effects of cross-subsidies: businesses are forced to pay higher utility rates, which they, in turn, pass on to customers through increased prices for goods and services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Past failures<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the financial losses from previous attempts to modernize state-owned production facilities, the Belarusian government continues to rely on construction as an economic driver. These past efforts to upgrade state industries did not improve efficiency; instead, they led to rising debts and underutilized production capacities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking ahead, the government plans to build a new refrigerator factory and expand bus production in the next few years. Additionally, it is considering the construction of a second nuclear power plant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-flourish wp-block-embed-flourish\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" title=\"Interactive or visual content\" src=\"https:\/\/flo.uri.sh\/visualisation\/21175214\/embed#?secret=4wB8YYzyZz\" data-secret=\"4wB8YYzyZz\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" height=\"575\" width=\"500\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Second nuclear power plant<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While infrastructure development can stimulate the economy, it requires a market-driven approach, real demand and an open economy. Without these factors, investment may lead to a &#8220;Chinese bubble&#8221; effect, where facilities remain unused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Belarus, government investments in cement plants and the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant\u2014whose electricity output exceeds domestic demand\u2014have not delivered the expected results. On January 22, Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka acknowledged the electricity surplus but insisted that Belarus would need more power in the future. He plans to discuss the construction of a second nuclear power plant with Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Belarusian government is relying on Russian assistance and the evasion of sanctions to finance these large-scale projects, but these resources are limited. Russia is already facing a shortage of parts, and Belarus may soon encounter the same issues. Furthermore, China has been reluctant to share advanced technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Risk of imbalances<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Relying on construction as a growth strategy is essentially an attempt to spur economic development without addressing the need for broader reforms. Ultimately, this approach will likely lead to greater economic imbalances, mounting debt and unsustainable development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"insert-block\">\n\n    <div class=\"insert-block__img\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"354\" height=\"236\" src=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/naselenie-cislennost-grafik-POZ-20250124-354x236.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/naselenie-cislennost-grafik-POZ-20250124-354x236.jpg 354w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/naselenie-cislennost-grafik-POZ-20250124-734x490.jpg 734w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/naselenie-cislennost-grafik-POZ-20250124-178x118.jpg 178w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/naselenie-cislennost-grafik-POZ-20250124-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/naselenie-cislennost-grafik-POZ-20250124.jpg 1111w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 354px) 100vw, 354px\" \/>                        <label class=\"insert-block__tag--mobile\"> Elections<\/label>\n\n                            <label class=\"insert-block__tag--mobile\"> Politics<\/label>\n\n                            <label class=\"insert-block__tag--mobile\"> The Viewer<\/label>\n\n                <\/div>\n    <div class=\"insert-block__text\">\n                    <label class=\"insert-block__tag\">Elections, Politics, The Viewer<\/label>\n                <h3 class=\"insert-block__title\">\u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s 30-year rule sees 10-percent population decline<\/h3>\n        <div class=\"insert-block__descr\">In the run-up to the presidential election, officials and propagandists claimed that Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka had saved Belarus from a \u201csystemic crisis.\u201d However, under his 30-year rule, the population of Belarus decreased by more than 10 percent, a significant challenge for &#8230;<\/div>\n        <a class=\"insert-block__btn-block\" href=\"\/en\/longreads\/123823\">\n            <button class=\"btn\">\n                <div class='btn__text'>Read<\/div>\n            <\/button>\n        <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Housing construction is once again at the heart of Belarus\u2019 state investment program, alongside investments in the real sector and infrastructure. The government has traditionally relied on construction as a key driver of economic growth. State dominance The construction industry in Belarus is fully controlled by the government, which functions as both the customer and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":122745,"template":"","rubric":[24],"class_list":["post-124382","longreads","type-longreads","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rubric-theviewer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Belarus\u2019 construction push risks economic imbalance | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Housing construction is once again at the heart of Belarus\u2019 state investment program, alongside investments in the real sector and infrastructure. 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