IFC ASSISTS BELARUS IN NATIONAL PRIVATIZATION PROGRAM
Mark Constantine
BREST, BELARUS January 28 -- The Belarus
government will privatize 50 percent of small-scale enterprises this year,
according to Deputy Prime Minister Sergei S. Ling. The announcement was
made at a two-day conference on small-scale privatization sponsored by
the Belarus Cabinet of Ministers, the State Property Committee, and the
International Finance Corporation (IFC). The conference assembled city
and regional officials responsible for small-scale privatization to learn
about the successful pilot privatization scheme designed and implemented
by the Brest city authorities, with the assistance of IFC. This pilot will
serve as the model for small-scale privatization in Belarus. Financial
assistance for the pilot program in Brest was provided by the United States
Agency for International Development. To assist these officials in meeting
the goal set by the Deputy Prime Minister, a manual, developed by IFC,
was distributed to all 250 conference participants. This manual provides
a step-by-step guide to implementi
ng small-scale privatization. An additional 10,000 will be sent to other
officials in all cities and regions in the country. IFC's Vice President
for Operations, Wilfried Kaffenberger, stated, "small-scale privatization
is an irreversible step on the road to establishing a market economy and
I am delighted that IFC has been of assistance to the government of Belarus
in such a crucial area of economic reform." During the conference,
delegates visited recently privatized stores in Brest and attended the
auction of ten small-scale enterprises. The businesses on offer included
cafes, restaurants, and shops specializing in household goods. The auction
was broadcast on national television. IFC has also provided technical assistance
in small-scale privatization to the governments of the Russian Federation
and Ukraine. IFC is the private sector arm of the World Bank Group and
the largest source of multilateral financing for private sector projects
in developing countries. (30)
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