In 2010 CASE Belarus is operating the grant of Polish Ministry of Foreing Affairs titled "The analytical and technical support of monetary policy aimed at assuring macroeconomic stabilization as an essential condition to carry out market reforms in Belarus". The aim of the project is the analytical and technical support of National Bank of Belarus, the main institution that is responsible for monetary policy, in order to keep the macroeconomic stability both in the short- and long -term.

Background
In 2003-2008 Belarusian government was achieving the macroeconomic stability due to favourable external factors that stimulate positive trends in the domestic market. Along with the beginning of the global crisis Belarus has come up with a series of challenges: a falling external demand, a deterioration of the terms of trade, a limited access to capital in the international markets, a further tightening in the relationship with Russia. In a given situation the maintenance of the previously successful growth model is rather unlikely since the Belarusian economy won't manage to provide high returns on investment at the significantly worse access to capital for investment projects. Therefore, currently structural reforms in the economy are regarded as the most important foundation of the medium-term growth.

Direct objectives
-        To increase competence of experts of the National Bank of Belarus and economists from other organizations (the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of the Economy) in the field of the technical instrumentation of the monetary policy.
-        On the basis of the new macroeconomic model to develope optimal rules for the monetary policy in Belarus which will take into account both standards of contemporary monetary regimes and peculiar features of the Belarusian economy.
-        To organize an open discussion concerning the necessity to achieve the macroeconomic stability in the Belarusian economy in the short- and long-term along with the presenting of the results in the mass media.

Belarusian partner
IPM Research Center was established in 1999. It is a member of CASE Research Network and The NGO Alliance of the William Davidson Institute. IPM Research Centre facilitates a dialogue on the issues of economic development of the country with civil society structures and state organizations. It also provides an information and analytical support to Belarusian and foreign companies and to international organizations operating in Belarus.

In 2009 CASE Belarus was operating the grant of Polish Ministry of Foreing Affairs titled "Fostering private participation in provision of public transportation services in Belarus". The aim of the project was to create and present the concept of privatization of the public transport services and infrastructure in Belarus.

Background
The government of Belarus declares that transportation sector should undergo significant market reforms and become quite more open for private capital. For instance, special program of the Council of Ministers says that the majority of state-owned transportation companies are to be privatized in 2008-2010. The transport regulation policy is being constantly shaped and is coming closer to the Western patterns, including EU. This creates a scope for cooperation and support from CASE Belarus in order to shape the Belarusian transport regulation policy in line with the best EU practices.

Objective 
The project provided Belarusian policy makers both in the government and the Parliament with the Concept of privatization of public transportation system in Belarus, along with recommendations how to implement it. 

Outcomes
     1. Concept of privatization of public transportation system in Belarus (in Russian)
     2. Policy paper with recommedations on privatization of public transportation system in Belarus (in Russian)
     3. Presentation by Dzmitry Babicki at the final conference (in Russian)
     4. Presentation by Dzmitry Sokal (in Russian)
     5. Final conference program (in Russian)

Key findings  
1. The current system of public transport regulation in Belarus is not effective and services provided to the citizens are of poor quality. Reforms and privatization of the sector are needed in order to increase the quality of services provided by transportation companies.
2. A fair competition at the public transportation services market between state-owned and private companies is absent with high dominance of the first. Yet the financial condition of state-owned enterprises is far from ideal.
3. The key proposals of change include:
     i) introduction of independent system of regulation through the institute of independent operator;
     ii) introduction of the system of routes contracts;
     iii) vertical desintegration of state-owned transport companies;
     iv) introduction of the system of transportation subsidies according to the rates indicated in routes contracts.

Achievements
The results of the project were widely distributed and approached directly decision makers in government structures such as Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Economy, Council of Ministers, Special committee in the Parliament, as well as HQ of Belarusian association of international carriers, scientific institutions, associations of entrepreneurs, and others institutions.

Belarusian partners
The Transporters Union is official NGO that unites over a hundred CEOs of state-owned transportation firms and several private ones. This organisation is headed by the former chief of Belarusian state aviation department. They employ high profile professional that have worked with the issue in the Parliament and state administration. The role of the Union is mostly to advise the Ministry of transport, committees of the Parliament and other policy making institutions on new legislation in transportation.

Business association "Sadruznasc" is official association, the member of Belarusian federation of labor unions. It has dozens of regional structures in oblast centers and big industrial towns. This association unites the majority of private providers of local transportation services. It is the only organization that has consistently advocated for the rights of private providers since 2003. The national board of the association is headed by Lianid Kowsyk (Леанід Іванавіч Коўшык), the former mayor of Zhlobin.

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