Over 13,500 deposit accounts opened under Belarus’ new family capital program

MINSK, 11 March (BelTA) – As of 1 March 2021, 95,880 deposit accounts were opened for large families under Belarus' family capital program, 13,545 of which were opened under the new program for 2020-2024, BelTA learned from the Belarusian Labor and Social Security Ministry.

As many as 82,335 deposit accounts with the total sum of $823.4 million were opened in line with the family capital program that was running in 2015-2019. The 2015-2019 program provided $10,000 to large families upon the birth or adoption of the third and subsequent children in the period from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2019. They could apply for family capital until 30 June 2020, no later than six months after the birth or adoption of the third and subsequent children.

As many as 13,545 large families opened deposit accounts with the total sum of Br305 million in line with the program extended for 2020-2024. Under the new five-year program, family capital is granted to large families upon the birth or adoption of the third and subsequent children from 1 January 2020 till 31 December 2024. The sum of family capital is calculated in Belarusian rubles and is annually adjusted depending on the consumer price index. From 1 January 2021, it equals Br23,737.5.

“As of 1 March 2021, 31,167 families had applied for permission to use family capital ahead of due time. Of them, 27,843 (89.3%) want to use the money to improve housing conditions, 1,714 (5.5%) – to get education, and 1,610 (5.2%) – to receive healthcare services. The ministry granted permission to use family capital earlier to 29,613 applicants,” the ministry noted.

Most of these families are from Brest Oblast – 6,539. Then goes Minsk Oblast with 4,877 families, Gomel Oblast with 4,857, the city of Minsk with 3,870, and Grodno Oblast with 3,452. Mogilev Oblast and Vitebsk Oblast round out the list with 3,018 and 3,000 families allowed to use family capital ahead of due time respectively.