Authorities switch to manual mode of governance

On February 1st, public utilities rates were raised substantially. According to the 2013 scheme, these rates regularly increase by USD 5 on average. The rates have grown despite the falling household income due to the Belarusian rouble‟s 40% devaluation in 2015. In addition, the authorities have lifted price regulation measures, which were introduced in late 2014 and simultaneously restricted household income growth in 2015, in particular, for state employees. In 2015, the year of presidential elections, the Belarusian authorities will be prompted to keep the balance between social support and economic stability in order not to cause tension within the society and to save the economy from collapse.