Lukashenko gathers Cabinet to tackle sensitive budget and social issues
11.08.2026
MINSK (
BelTA) – Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has convened a meeting with top officials of the Council of Ministers. The agenda includes several items for which the government has proposed new approaches, BelTA has learned.
The first item calls for updating the financing scheme for mineral fertilizer supplies to agricultural organizations. The second concerns changes to the payment of childcare benefits for children up to age three. The third item proposes discussing the feasibility of merging two state bodies – the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection and the State Inspectorate for the Protection of Fauna and Flora.
“All of these issues are sensitive for the budget, but most importantly, for the people,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized.
On updating the financing scheme for mineral fertilizer supplies to agricultural organizations
Speaking about the state’s policy in the agricultural sector, the president pledged that support for rural communities would remain in place. The key question, he said, is strict oversight of the mechanisms and volumes involved. “The government draws up monthly schedules for fertilizer purchases by region and identifies funding sources. These include the central and local budgets, agricultural enterprises’ own funds, and loans on preferential terms above all,” the head of state said.
The president noted that the overall situation across the country is not bad. “As of 1 August, 92 % of the mineral fertilizer quotas had been taken up. Over 90 % is a good uptake rate. At the same time, some regions do not fully utilize their quotas throughout the year. For winter sowing, when it comes to nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers, only half of the regions have achieved full uptake. What is the reason, if there are raw materials available, as you claim, and funding sources have been identified?” Aleksandr Lukashenko asked.
In this connection, he drew attention to what is essentially a dead-end situation facing fertilizer producers. Their warehouses are full of unused quota stock, and the expected revenue simply isn’t coming in. “The goods are sitting idle. They were neither consumed by the domestic market nor sold abroad. As I said earlier, in the current situation in the world, enterprises could easily have sold the fertilizers on the foreign market and at a higher price,” the head of state remarked.
“For next year, it is proposed to increase fertilizer purchases by another 18 % to support the planned growth in agricultural production; that much is clear. Consequently, even more funds will be needed, roughly Br3 billion in total, along with reliable funding sources,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stated. “To lower the cost of mineral fertilizers for farmers and ensure quota uptake, the government has developed new approaches.”
The Council of Ministers proposes that half be paid for from the central budget, with funds channeled directly to the manufacturers. For the other half, it is proposed to use agricultural organizations’ own funds, bank loans, and local budgets. The manufacturer would make deliveries only after full payment. Oversight of implementation would fall to the chairs of regional executive committees.
The president pressed for hard numbers and a clear rationale to show exactly how the new scheme would affect the final price of fertilizers for farmers. “What concerns us is the money we are spending and what kind of return we will get from it, not quotas first and foremost. And another thing: will this new approach eliminate the practice of unscheduled appeals to the president for additional resources? Most importantly, will it motivate the average agricultural enterprise director to work more efficiently, given that we are all pitching in to solve his problems?” Aleksandr Lukashenko raised a number of questions.
Overhauling state support for families with children
The agenda included discussion of a legal act concerning childcare benefits.
The head of state emphasized that parents in Belarus receive very substantial financial support. There are lump-sum payments at childbirth (around Br5,000 for the first child and more than Br7,000 for the second and subsequent children). There is a family capital program for large families – currently over Br35,000. And there are monthly allowances of at least Br1,000.
“It would seem – just have children! They’ll be fully supported by the state. But the modern world has become too pragmatic. Young people first seek to establish themselves – through education and career – and only afterward consider having children,” the president said.
Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that just 10 years ago, Belarusians’ standard of living was half of what it is today: GDP per capita in 2015 was about $18,000, while in 2025 it was roughly $35,000. “But twice as many children were born back when we were poorer (nearly 120,000 in 2015 versus 55,000 in 2025),” the head of state observed.
“To keep our nation from disappearing and to ensure there’s a workforce to keep the country going, it’s as simple as two plus two: two parents – two children. That’s the baseline, as the young people say. And better yet – three or more,” the president stressed. “Therefore, at the state level, we need to find a workable formula that, first, will reinvigorate demographic trends. Second, it will motivate people toward conscious motherhood and fatherhood and make them a trend. That way, we will preserve and grow our population.”
To address demographic challenges, the government has proposed a radical overhaul of state support for families with children. Before arriving at specific decisions, the president outlined a number of fundamental questions. “Is there a guarantee that expanding financial incentives will actually give a boost to the birth rate?” Aleksandr Lukashenko asked. The head of state also inquired about international experience, the long-term effect (over five years or more) of substantial state support, and its impact on the budget and the country’s economy.
On merging the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection and the State Inspectorate for the Protection of Fauna and Flora
Aleksandr Lukashenko recalled that this topic had come up when the current head of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection was appointed. “In the complex field of environmental protection and control over natural resource use, these agencies work cohesively and seemingly successfully: they uncover criminal schemes and prevent various violations. Poaching, for example, has been reduced to a minimum,” he emphasized.
At the same time, as the president noted, apart from poaching, there are other issues in the realm of environmental protection. “This is about protecting our nature, and we need to go all in on this, because it truly is our treasure,” he said. “In the middle of a vast civilization, in Eurasia, lies the cleanest corner of the planet. It is remarkable, really, that we have managed to preserve it.”
“The inspectorate must tackle not only poaching, but also those who have made a habit of polluting. Both the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection and the inspectorate are falling short here. So let’s not act as if we have been blessed with good fortune and can rest easy; there are plenty of problems that need to be addressed,” the head of state emphasized.
The president noted that at first glance, there appear to be no obvious obstacles to further combining the efforts of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection and the State Inspectorate for the Protection of Fauna and Flora. “At the same time, I know that the State Secretariat of the Security Council did not support this initiative. We will hear their view,” he added.
The first item calls for updating the financing scheme for mineral fertilizer supplies to agricultural organizations. The second concerns changes to the payment of childcare benefits for children up to age three. The third item proposes discussing the feasibility of merging two state bodies – the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection and the State Inspectorate for the Protection of Fauna and Flora.
“All of these issues are sensitive for the budget, but most importantly, for the people,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized.
On updating the financing scheme for mineral fertilizer supplies to agricultural organizations
Speaking about the state’s policy in the agricultural sector, the president pledged that support for rural communities would remain in place. The key question, he said, is strict oversight of the mechanisms and volumes involved. “The government draws up monthly schedules for fertilizer purchases by region and identifies funding sources. These include the central and local budgets, agricultural enterprises’ own funds, and loans on preferential terms above all,” the head of state said.
The president noted that the overall situation across the country is not bad. “As of 1 August, 92 % of the mineral fertilizer quotas had been taken up. Over 90 % is a good uptake rate. At the same time, some regions do not fully utilize their quotas throughout the year. For winter sowing, when it comes to nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers, only half of the regions have achieved full uptake. What is the reason, if there are raw materials available, as you claim, and funding sources have been identified?” Aleksandr Lukashenko asked.
In this connection, he drew attention to what is essentially a dead-end situation facing fertilizer producers. Their warehouses are full of unused quota stock, and the expected revenue simply isn’t coming in. “The goods are sitting idle. They were neither consumed by the domestic market nor sold abroad. As I said earlier, in the current situation in the world, enterprises could easily have sold the fertilizers on the foreign market and at a higher price,” the head of state remarked.
“For next year, it is proposed to increase fertilizer purchases by another 18 % to support the planned growth in agricultural production; that much is clear. Consequently, even more funds will be needed, roughly Br3 billion in total, along with reliable funding sources,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stated. “To lower the cost of mineral fertilizers for farmers and ensure quota uptake, the government has developed new approaches.”
The Council of Ministers proposes that half be paid for from the central budget, with funds channeled directly to the manufacturers. For the other half, it is proposed to use agricultural organizations’ own funds, bank loans, and local budgets. The manufacturer would make deliveries only after full payment. Oversight of implementation would fall to the chairs of regional executive committees.
The president pressed for hard numbers and a clear rationale to show exactly how the new scheme would affect the final price of fertilizers for farmers. “What concerns us is the money we are spending and what kind of return we will get from it, not quotas first and foremost. And another thing: will this new approach eliminate the practice of unscheduled appeals to the president for additional resources? Most importantly, will it motivate the average agricultural enterprise director to work more efficiently, given that we are all pitching in to solve his problems?” Aleksandr Lukashenko raised a number of questions.
Overhauling state support for families with children
The agenda included discussion of a legal act concerning childcare benefits.
The head of state emphasized that parents in Belarus receive very substantial financial support. There are lump-sum payments at childbirth (around Br5,000 for the first child and more than Br7,000 for the second and subsequent children). There is a family capital program for large families – currently over Br35,000. And there are monthly allowances of at least Br1,000.
“It would seem – just have children! They’ll be fully supported by the state. But the modern world has become too pragmatic. Young people first seek to establish themselves – through education and career – and only afterward consider having children,” the president said.
Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that just 10 years ago, Belarusians’ standard of living was half of what it is today: GDP per capita in 2015 was about $18,000, while in 2025 it was roughly $35,000. “But twice as many children were born back when we were poorer (nearly 120,000 in 2015 versus 55,000 in 2025),” the head of state observed.
“To keep our nation from disappearing and to ensure there’s a workforce to keep the country going, it’s as simple as two plus two: two parents – two children. That’s the baseline, as the young people say. And better yet – three or more,” the president stressed. “Therefore, at the state level, we need to find a workable formula that, first, will reinvigorate demographic trends. Second, it will motivate people toward conscious motherhood and fatherhood and make them a trend. That way, we will preserve and grow our population.”
To address demographic challenges, the government has proposed a radical overhaul of state support for families with children. Before arriving at specific decisions, the president outlined a number of fundamental questions. “Is there a guarantee that expanding financial incentives will actually give a boost to the birth rate?” Aleksandr Lukashenko asked. The head of state also inquired about international experience, the long-term effect (over five years or more) of substantial state support, and its impact on the budget and the country’s economy.
On merging the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection and the State Inspectorate for the Protection of Fauna and Flora
Aleksandr Lukashenko recalled that this topic had come up when the current head of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection was appointed. “In the complex field of environmental protection and control over natural resource use, these agencies work cohesively and seemingly successfully: they uncover criminal schemes and prevent various violations. Poaching, for example, has been reduced to a minimum,” he emphasized.
At the same time, as the president noted, apart from poaching, there are other issues in the realm of environmental protection. “This is about protecting our nature, and we need to go all in on this, because it truly is our treasure,” he said. “In the middle of a vast civilization, in Eurasia, lies the cleanest corner of the planet. It is remarkable, really, that we have managed to preserve it.”
“The inspectorate must tackle not only poaching, but also those who have made a habit of polluting. Both the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection and the inspectorate are falling short here. So let’s not act as if we have been blessed with good fortune and can rest easy; there are plenty of problems that need to be addressed,” the head of state emphasized.
The president noted that at first glance, there appear to be no obvious obstacles to further combining the efforts of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection and the State Inspectorate for the Protection of Fauna and Flora. “At the same time, I know that the State Secretariat of the Security Council did not support this initiative. We will hear their view,” he added.