English

National Bank links border survey to study of cross-border shopping

The National Bank of Belarus (NBB) said on Monday that it had polled travelers at seven border crossings to study the extent of exports and imports of consumer goods by individuals.

Travelers were asked to fill in questionnaires at the crossings on September 20 and 21.

Belarusian citizens were asked to say how long they planned to stay abroad and what amount of money they planned to spend there. Foreigners were asked about how long they had stayed in Belarus and how much they had spent in the country.

The NBB said that another objective of the survey was to study tourism levels.

The National Bank stressed that the poll was voluntary and travelers could refuse to fill in the questionnaires. It said that the findings would be used for adjusting the system of compiling export and import statistics.

Such surveys are a widespread international practice, according to the NBB. //BelaPAN