Cooked Books or Real Progress?
via Radio Free Europe:
BELARUSIAN MONTHLY WAGE OFFICIALLY RISES TO $200 IN 2004
The Ministry of Statistics and Analysis has reported that the average before-tax monthly wage rose from 299,859 Belarusian rubles ($139 at the then exchange rate) in December 2003 to 434,900 Belarusian rubles ($200 at the current exchange rate) in December 2004, Belapan reported on 1 February. The official exchange rate of the U.S. dollar increased by 0.6 percent and that of the euro by 9.7 percent in 2004.
That's better than a 40% increase in just a year. Impressive by any standard. And sure, you can argue the books have been cooked by the same folks who brought you 97% pro-Lukashenko election returns, but then you'd have to accept that they didn't similarly cook them last year. I suspect there's some truth to the numbers, despite Belarus' statist economic policies. I wish I understood more about the situation.
BELARUSIAN MONTHLY WAGE OFFICIALLY RISES TO $200 IN 2004
The Ministry of Statistics and Analysis has reported that the average before-tax monthly wage rose from 299,859 Belarusian rubles ($139 at the then exchange rate) in December 2003 to 434,900 Belarusian rubles ($200 at the current exchange rate) in December 2004, Belapan reported on 1 February. The official exchange rate of the U.S. dollar increased by 0.6 percent and that of the euro by 9.7 percent in 2004.
That's better than a 40% increase in just a year. Impressive by any standard. And sure, you can argue the books have been cooked by the same folks who brought you 97% pro-Lukashenko election returns, but then you'd have to accept that they didn't similarly cook them last year. I suspect there's some truth to the numbers, despite Belarus' statist economic policies. I wish I understood more about the situation.
posted by soulpole66 at 1:38 AM
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