The results of the main socio-economic development parameters of the region for five years and for 2025 were reviewed at the 21st session of the Regional Council of Deputies of the 29th convocation. Deputies also approved the region's budget and the Investment Program for 2026.

Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee Alexander Subbotin noted that the outgoing five-year period was a time of cardinal changes in the foreign economic situation and the formation of a new global reality. The region's enterprises had to find alternative ways: from raw material supplies to marketing strategies, negotiate with new partners, build new logistics, and optimize tasks to maintain competitiveness in both foreign and domestic markets.

– The region is completing 2025 with positive dynamics in the construction and transport sectors, retail trade and public catering, and export of services, – emphasized Alexander Subbotin. – Key performance indicators for wages, aggregate budget revenues, investments, housing commissioning, and production of import-substituting products have been met this year.

According to the National Statistical Committee, Vitebsk region is among the top three leaders in achieving sustainable development goals (significant progress and high results have been achieved in 79% of the analyzed indicators).

Following the results of the five-year period, it was possible to level out the negative dynamics and ensure growth in key regional development parameters: gross regional product, industrial production volumes excluding oil refining and energy, livestock production, retail and wholesale trade turnover, public catering, passenger turnover, investments, and exports of goods and services.

More than
190 investment projects have been implemented in the real sector of the economy, with one-third of them located in small and medium-sized settlements. Approximately 2.5 thousand new jobs have been created.

The contribution of small and medium-sized businesses to the regional economy is growing every year, employing about 30% of the total number of people employed in the economy.

The infrastructure supporting entrepreneurship is developing.

A new incubator was opened in Vitebsk, the incubator in Orsha expanded its premises, and the number of incubator residents increased 1.5 times over the five-year period.

35 projects have been formed within the framework of the Head of State's directive "One District – One Project," 18 of which have already been completed, creating 485 new jobs. These include production of electrical products in Braslav district, food flavorings in Beshenkovichi, lubricating oils in Gluboksky district, perfumery and garment products in Dokshitsky districts, and others.

Products with the Vitebsk brand are supplied to 70 countries worldwide. The Russian Federation remains the main trading partner of the region. Over the five-year period, supplies to China have doubled, and African markets (Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia, South Africa) are being actively developed. Trade turnover with Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan has increased.

Markets in the Middle East and Southeast Asia are being developed. Supplies of goods to Iran, Iraq, and India have increased manifold.

Over the five-year period, more than 1 million 600 thousand square meters of housing have been commissioned, and in the current year, the volume of housing construction has reached a record high for the region in the last 10 years – 400 thousand square meters.

Annually, over 2,000 families improve their housing conditions.

Transport and the social sphere have been actively developing.

In the near future, a five-year Program for the Socio-Economic Development of the Pridvinye region will be adopted, which will define the key tasks, development directions, and growth points of the region: industry, agriculture, tourism, and transport and logistics services. A "pool" of over 450 projects has been formed for the five-year period, and their funding sources are being worked out. These include the creation of a modern import-substituting production of medical and veterinary drugs based on OJSC "Belvitunipharm", the construction of a pulp production plant in Novopolotsk, a cross-laminated timber panel production plant in the Tolochinsky district, and others.

The five-year plan includes the construction of modern dairy farms, modernization of the poultry industry, and the implementation of greenhouse construction projects (a joint venture with a Chinese investor has already been registered in the Orshansky district).

Starting from 2026, approaches to housing construction will change: priority will be given to the construction of rental housing in the regions in conjunction with the creation of new enterprises and industries, and an increase in the volume of individual housing construction under state orders.

It is planned to commission at least 1.2 million square meters of housing, ensure capital and current repairs of over 5,000 km of republican and local roads, and reconstruct 6 bridge structures.

The construction of a kindergarten in Lepel and the reconstruction of Gymnasium No. 1 in Vitebsk will be completed.

New social facilities will appear on the region's map: kindergartens in Polotsk and the Bilevo microdistrict of Vitebsk, schools in Vitebsk and Novopolotsk, and 4 family-type orphanages.

The construction of a new polyclinic in Polotsk, the reconstruction of the Vitebsk Regional Clinical Hospital will be completed, and an inter-district medical care center will be opened based on the Glubokoe Central Regional Hospital.

Introducing the draft regional budget for 2026 to the deputies, the head of the regional executive committee's main financial department, Yevgeny Korostik, noted that the main financial document has a pronounced social focus: 62 percent of the funds are planned for the development of the social sphere. It is forecasted that regional expenditures will increase by 6% in 2026, with the social sector seeing a 12% increase. More than half of the funds for the social sector will be allocated to the education and healthcare sectors: for labor remuneration, fulfillment of state standards, along with financing the current maintenance of the material and technical base, and the acquisition of new equipment. The most important direction of the 2026 budget policy will be to increase the wage level of employees of budgetary organizations.

Local budget expenditures on physical culture and sports, culture, and transport will increase.

Funds are provided for the repair of roads, and the acquisition of 2 trams, 17 trolleybuses, and 81 buses is planned.

The presented Investment Program for Regional Development is designed for three years and provides for the financing of construction of facilities, including design and survey work, as well as financing the completion of construction of facilities included in the programs of previous years. These include the reconstruction of the canteen building of the DROЦ "Zhemchuzhina" in Lepel district, tram tracks and overhead lines on M. Gorky Street in Vitebsk, the construction of sports and recreation complexes in Vitebsk, Braslav, and Sharkovshchina, the design of the Ice Arena and the reconstruction of the museum in Vitebsk, and the completion of the design documentation for the reconstruction of the Bogushevsk social boarding house. In total, about 310 million rubles are planned to be allocated for the construction of 193 facilities under the Regional Investment Program.

vitebsk-region.gov.by