D. Complete the sentences with the right prepositions.
1. How much you get paid is dependent ... how much you produce. 2. They receive an income equal ... the value of the goods they produce. 3. The poor social conditions were accompanied ... rapid industrialization. 4. The Government programme is aimed ... reviving
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and developing the village. 5. The company specializes ... modern agricultural machinery production. 6. A large network of scientific institutions has been coming ... being. 7. Production growth had its positive impact ... people's standard of living. 8. The economic reform is intended ... the promotion of small and medium businesses.
E. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense form.
As a sovereign country, Belarus (enjoy) full rights and (be) active on the foreign arena. Belarus regularly (send) its delegations to the sessions of the UNO General Assembly, (be) a member of some international specialized organizations, commissions, bureaus, funds and other organs.
On the initiative of Belarus the international organizations (adopt) a number of important decisions, particularly on the punishment of war criminals, on education of youth in the spirit of ides of peace and friendship among nations. Belarus (sign) many treaties, agreements, protocols and conventions on cooperation with other countries in various fields. Together with representatives of other peace-loving countries the envoys of Belarus (struggle) for implementing a policy that (answer) the basic interests of all nations of the world, for their peace and security, cooperation and friendship.
The Belarusian people (strengthen) and (broaden) its ties with the peoples of other countries. Its public organizations (establish) direct contacts and (exchange) delegations with their trade unions, youth, women's and sports organizations.
Diving Deeper
A. Finish the sentences according to the text.
1. Our country has a favourable location as ... . 2. The economy of the country largely depends on ... . 3. Belarus produces and exports ... . 4. Our country exports to ... . 5. The future of the Republic's industry will depend on ... . 6. The Republic's agriculture was influenced by .... 7. To produce and process beef, pork and poultry ... . 8. Field husbandry supports ... . 9. The main aims of the economic reform in the Republic are to ... .
B. Give detailed answers to the following questions.
1. How has Belarusian industry been developing since 1995? 2. What does Belarus produce and export? 3. What will further progress of the Republic's industry depend on? 4. What types 138
of production are given preference to? 5. What does Belarusian agriculture specialize in? 6. What supports cattle-breeding? 7. What is the country's plant cultivation famous for? 8. What is the economic reform in the Republic aimed at? 9. What are the country's business development priorities?
Speaking
Prove the statements using the information from the text.
• The Republic of Belarus has a favourable location.
• Belarusian products are gaining foreign markets.
• Animal husbandry is well developed in the Republic.
• A reform of the Republic's agricultural complex is under way.
Writing
If you were asked to write a short encyclopaedia entry on the economy of the Republic of Belarus, what would it be like?
Integrated Language Skills
A. Study the following words and expressions. Use them in
sentences of your own.
Exchange rate — валютный курс; potash fertilizer — калийное удобрение; unified — объединённый; access — доступ; joint enterprise — совместное предприятие; heritage — наследие; curative — целебный; spa — курорт с минеральными водами.
B. Read the dialogue between Hugh Large and Igor Romanchuk
and match Mr. barge's questions (A—H) with I.Romanchuk's
answers. One question is extra.
A Access to Russia, that's great news! How tough are the domestic
tax rules? В How successful have foreign investors been in Belarus so far? С ...This all sounds great but can we count on the economic
stability of the country? D Does Belarus maintain active relations with international financial
organizations? E As we are a Holiday Tour Company we are especially interested
whether the country is a tourist destination for other Europeans.
Can I expect to see a growing number of foreigners in Belarus?
Would tourists enjoy visiting Belarus?
F Good to know...what about protecting my rights as a foreign
investor? G That's good to know. What drives today's economy? What about
expanding markets outside Belarus? H ...OK, what about the professional expertise of your workers?
Hugh Large, a Marketing Director of Holiday Tour Company is talking to Igor Romanchuk, a representative of a free economic zone in Belarus. Mr. Large wants to do business with Belarusian companies and is interested in investing money in our country.
Mr. Large: Good morning, Mr. Romanchuk. How are you?
Romanchuk: Fine, thanks. And how are you getting on?
Mr. Large: Very well, thank you.
Romanchuk: So, Mr. Large, as I understood from your e-mail you are interested in business investments in Belarus.
Mr. Large: That's right. There seems to be a lot of opportunities in Belarus.
Romanchuk: As you know, our location in Eastern Europe is ideal. We are link between Russia and all of Eastern and Western Europe. Our communication and transport infrastructure is modem. Belarus is ready for foreign investment!
Mr. Large: 1) ...
Romanchuk: Belarus boasts a highly qualified and relatively cheap labour force, with sound technical skills and experience in working at modern enterprises. The high level of education in the country and its highly qualified workforce are the fruits of Belarus' strong professional training system.
Mr. Large: 2) ...
Romanchuk: In recent years, Belarus has enjoyed macroeconomic stability. Its GDP growth has been steady. A single exchange rate was established in 2000 for all segments of the currency market.
Mr. Large: 3) ...
Romanchuk: Belarus produces and sells competitive products for the domestic and international markets. Belarus exports more than 90 % of its car and tractor output, 83 % of its machine tool output, 88 % of its refrigerator and freezer output, and
around 90 % of its television and potash fertilizer output. Belarus is a member of the unified customs territory with Russia. For potential investors this means that an investment in Belarus offers access not only to Belarus' market, but also to Belarus' giant neighbour to the east.
Mr. Large: 4) ...
Romanchuk: Belarus has established six free economic zones where more liberal tax and customs rules apply.
Mr. Large: 5) ...
Romanchuk: Well, Belarus is the only CIS state to have adopted an Investment Code which protects the ownership rights of foreign investors, guarantees them equality with national investors.
Mr. Large: 6) ...
Romanchuk: Belarus can boast of the success stories of foreign companies carrying out major and medium-sized investment projects in the country. Joint and foreign enterprises have been established with Germany's MAN, the Netherlands' Coca-Cola, US corporation McDonald's and many others.
Mr. Large: 7) ...
Romanchuk: Sure. 1 can't but say that Belarus is a country with an ancient and rich history and unique culture. Its towns and cities are peppered with ancient cathedrals and monasteries, the mansions and castles of the Rzeczpospolita and the Russian Empire, and architectural, historical and cultural monuments. Thanks to its cultural and historical heritage and the natural beauty of its countryside, Belarus has strong potential as a destination for tourism and curative spa business.
Mr. Large: Well, Mr. Romanchuk, you were very convincing. I get the feeling that Belarus is a very promising destination for investment.
Romanchuk: Yes it is! If you have any further questions don't hesitate
to contact me.
С Note down the main ideas expressed by I. Romanchuk about:
1) the location of our country; 2) our workers' professional expertise;
3) the economic development of Belaras; 4) the competitiveness of
Belarusian goods; 5) the investors' rights on the territory of Belarus;
6) foreign investors' success in Belarus; 7) the possibilities of tourism development in Belarus.
D. Act out the conversation between Mr. Large and I. Romanchuk. 24. Reading
A. Study the following expressions:
the State Banner of Honour — Почетное знамя Республики Беларусь; a production association — производственное объединение; a quality management system — система менеджмента качества; а joint venture — совместное предприятие.
B. Read about five famous Belarusian companies — the Beltransgaz,
the Minsk Tractor Works, the Horizont, the Kommunarka and the
Spartak — and say which company:
1) continuously modernizes its technological base;
2) produces goods made of only natural, ecologically pure stuff;
3) produces video and audio equipment;
4) trades with more than sixty countries;
5) was founded in 1960;
6) cares for consumers' health and tastes;
7) has four affiliates;
8) was awarded the State Banner of Honour.
The history of the BeltransgazJoint-Stock Company began on October 25, 1960 when the Minsk Gas Pipeline Department was set up to operate the "Dashava-Minsk" gas pipeline. The principal activities of Beltransgaz include: natural gas supply to Belarusian consumers and its transportation through the Republic's territory to other countries; natural gas storage in the underground gas reservoirs, etc. In 20Q3, the 575-km-long Belarusian section of the "Yamal-Europe" transcontinental gas pipeline, was completed and put into operation. The equipment of the "Yamal-Europe" gas pipeline meets the requirements of the advanced international standards on reliability, efficiency and ecological safety. By Decree № 500, A.G. Lukashenko, President of the Republic of Belarus, awarded the State Banner of Honour to the Beltransgaz Joint-Stock Company for special achievements in economic development.
The Minsk Tractor WorksProduction Association is one of the major manufacturers of wheeled tractors in the world and one of
seven largest tractor exporters with partnership links in more than 60 countries. The MTW Association consists of four affiliated enterprises: the Smorgon Assembly Unit Plant, the Bobruisk Tractor Part and Assembly Plant, the Minsk Special Tool and Technological Equipment Plant and the Vitebsk Tractor Spare-Part Plant. The enterprise has a quality management system that complies with the requirements of the ISO-9001 international standards.
The HorizontPublic Joint-Stock Company is the largest manufacturer of video and audio equipment in the Republic of Belarus and the CIS countries. The enterprise produces over 50 models of TV sets, DVD-players, acoustic systems for home film viewing, and cable TV systems. The enterprise's technological base is continuously modernised, which allows Horizont to turn out certificated products in compliance with domestic and foreign standards. Horizont intends to achieve the status of a well-known and prestigious TV equipment manufacturing company not only in the CIS countries but also the world over.
The Kommunarkaand the Spartakfactories are major manufacturers of confectionery in the Republic of Belarus. Their products have for many years been popular in Belarus as well as in the markets of Russia, the USA, Great Britain, the Czech Republic, Mongolia and other countries. The Spartak Joint Venture and the Kommunarka Joint-Stock Company take care of consumers' health and tastes. They traditionally look for classical recipes and, drawing on the best of the world experience, they use only natural, ecologically pure stuff. Spartak and Kommunarka have been awarded a great number of international diplomas and medals, which is indicative of the high quality of their products.
Project Work
Do research on one of the Belarusian companies covering the company's history, the competitiveness of its products, its cooperation with other foreign companies, its strategic plans, etc. Present your findings to the rest of the group.
You may choose from the following list of famous Belarusian companies: the Public Joint-Stock Company Mozyr Oil Refinery; Republican Unitarian Enterprise Belarusian Metallurgical Plant; the BelAZProduction Association; Industrial Association Gomselmash; the ATLANT Closed Joint-Stock Company.
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UNIT 5. Education
1. EDUCATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS
Words
7. Reading & Role-Playing
A. Study the following words and expressions which will help you to understand the texts:
commodity expert — товаровед; commodity research — товароведение; formal acceptance — приёмка; stock-taking — учет; deputy — заместитель; fit out — снабжать; shop-assistant — продавец; cash desk — кассовый аппарат; refrigerating equipment — холодильное оборудование; ascertain — убедиться; trading period — отчетный
период; quantitative — количественный; governmental accountant — бухгалтер государственного учреждения; auditing — проверка, ревизия; tax computation — исчисление налога
В. Read the compositions of two students from Minsk State Trade College, Olga and Mikhail, and say:
1) who will be responsible for organising trade process in a shop;
2) who is going to be an accountant;
3) who decided what he/she wants to be at the age of fifteen;
4) who will provide auditing and tax computation services;
5) who wants to become a commodity expert;
6) whose duty will be to give financial advice;
7) who is acquiring skills in defining goods quality;
8) who will keep financial records;
9) who can also work as a shop-assistant;
10) who learns how to operate a cash desk.
My Future Profession
Olga:It is not an easy thing to choose a profession out of more than 2,000 existing in the world. Some people do this at the industrial training centres, some follow the advice of their parents, and others can't decide even after leaving school.
As for me, I made my choice long ago. I began to think about my future profession at the age of 15. 1 decided to become a commodity expert. That's why last year 1 entered Minsk State Trade College. There are four faculties at the college: Accountancy, Law, Technology of Cooking and Commercial Activity. I chose the last one because the occupation of a commodity expert attracted me very much.
Students of this faculty study commodity research, organisation of trade, trade equipment, economy of trade and other subjects. Students also learn marketing, management, foreign languages, accountancy and business documentation. Students not only have classes in the college but also do practical work outside college. They acquire skills in serving customers, in formal acceptance and accommodation of goods on storing, in methods of stock-taking of material values.
Graduates of commercial activity faculty can work as commodity experts and shop-assistants. In the future they can improve their professional skills and become financially responsible persons, directors
of shops, managers and their deputies, administrators, commodity experts, etc. For college graduates it is easier to enter a university than for school-leavers.
I can add that I will have to organise trade process in a shop, introduce progressive methods of service, fit out enterprises with modern equipment and do research on purchasing demand for goods. During their studies students acquire skills in defining goods quality and working with standards and price-lists. They also study weight-measuring instruments, cash desks and refrigerating equipment.
I hope that I'll never regret my choice and soon get a well-paid and interesting job.
Mikhail:I'm a student of Minsk State Trade College. There are many departments at our college: Accountancy, Commercial Activity, Law, Technology of Cooking. The students are trained to be specialists in different branches of economy. I study at the Department of Accounting. I'm a second-year student and my future profession is that of an accountant.
People who specialise in the field of accounting are known as accountants. If you are considering setting up your own business, an accountant is the best person to give you financial advice. To run your business well you must know what money you have received, how much money you have spent, and, most important of all, how you spent it. It is the legal requirement that proper financial records are kept and the basic principle is to record every single transaction. One of the purposes is to ascertain whether you have made a profit or loss during a given period. Profit could be described as the difference between the value of the business at the start of a trading period and the value of the business at the end of that period. So, the function of an accountant is to provide quantitative information that managers can use to make decisions.
To become a highly-specialised accountant one must be a diligent student. After graduating from the college, we can work as governmental accountants at governmental agencies or bureaus. We can also work for private companies and individuals and provide accounting services such as auditing and tax computation.