PPP development stages in the Republic of Belarus
The first steps of cooperation between the state and business were made in 1991 with the adoption of the laws of the Republic of Belarus “On investment activity in the Republic of Belarus” and “On foreign investments on the territory of the Republic of Belarus”, which regulated the issues of investment, including in the form of concessions.
On 22 June 2001, instead of these laws, the Investment Code of the Republic of Belarus was adopted, which established the features of the investment activities on the basis of concessions, as well as the conclusion of investment agreements between the Republic of Belarus and investors.
A serious impetus for the PPP development in the Republic of Belarus was the adoption of the “Programme of activities of the Government of the Republic of Belarus” for 2011-2015 (approved by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus № 216 of 18thFebruary 2011) which determined the formation of the PPP as one of the key areas of activity of the Government of the Republic of Belarus for 5 years.
The following is planned within the implementation of the programme:
- Instead of the Investment Code, the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On investments" of 12thJuly 2013 (came into force on 26 January 2014), which established the general conditions for the implementation of investment in the Republic of Belarus and the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On concessions" of 12thJuly 2013 (came into force on 26 January 2014), which established the conditions for the implementation of concessions in the Republic of Belarus were drafted and adopted;
- The Law of the Republic of Belarus of 30th December 2015 "On public-private partnership" (came into force on 2 July 2016), which established the conditions for the implementation of projects in accordance with the PPP agreement was drafted and adopted;
- In 2014 the IICC was created (Infrastructure Interagency Coordinating Council);
- In 2015, the National Infrastructure Plan for 2016-2030, which reflects the country's infrastructure needs and the disruption of budgetary financing for a long term was developed and approved by the decision of the IICC.
Currently in the Republic of Belarus the legal framework has been created, an institutional environment has been formed, training of specialists has been conducted and the first pilot projects have been selected.