Innovative development program to create over 10,000 jobs in Belarus by 2020

Plans have been made to create over 10,000 jobs in Belarus as part of the implementation of the government program on innovative development for the period till 2020. The information was released by Alexander Shumilin, Chairman of the State Science and Technology Committee, before the ceremony held on 23 December to award winners of the national contest of innovative projects, BelTA has learned.

According to the source, final discussions about the government program on innovative development in 2016-2020 are in progress. The program is ready on the whole. “Creating new jobs is the most important thing we should pay attention to. The initial figure was 3,500 jobs. Now according to preliminary evaluations at least 10,000 jobs will be created as part of the program,” noted Alexander Shumilin.

BelTA has been told that those will be highly remunerative jobs at new production sector enterprises. “10,000 may seem like a small number but all of those jobs will be created at new manufacturing facilities that will boast an added value higher than the European average. These facilities will boast advanced technologies. It will be impossible to work at these enterprises without good education,” stressed the official.

The Chairman of the State Science and Technology Committee of Belarus reminded that the provisional amount of money needed to finance the program's projects in 2016-2020 will be close to $5 billion.

BelTA reported earlier that the State Science and Technology Committee has already shortlisted about 100 projects that will become part of the 2016-2020 state innovative development program. The program’s implementation is expected to create at least 100 new innovative enterprises and manufacturing divisions. The output of innovative products is expected to be close to $1.1 billion, with export close to $900 million.