A rapidly developing economy allows people to have a job, earn their living, and support their families; those who need social support can rely on the targeted social aid.

Compared to the year 2000, in 2005 actual cash income of the people grew by 1.8; compared to the year 1995 – by 3.4.

In the years 2001-2005, the situation with employment was kept under control; the unemployed were getting social support. By the end of 2005, the official unemployment rate in the Region has decreased to 2% due to the creation of 70 thousand new working places.

In the 5-year period, from 2001 to 2005, new social priorities have been added to the previously announced “export-housing-foodstuff” national priorities: public health service, education, youth, and revival of the villages; this covers practically all spheres of life. Each of the announced priorities has been given a lot of efforts, especially in the last 2 years with the introduction of basic state standards for providing services.

All of the 44 standards have been implemented in towns and villages of the Region, but the efforts are still being taken to improve the quality of provided services; in particular, in the rural areas according to the adopted program for the revival and development of villages for the years 2005-2010. The first year of working within this program has shown its effectiveness in providing social support to the population of the rural areas. The first 24 agro villages were built and put into usage in 2005.

In 2005, 16 administrative areas in the Region were using town gas. On January 12, 2006, President of the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, cut the ribbon opening the pipeline in Dokshytsy area; the people of Braslav and Sharkovshchina will be able to use gas in the homes in the near future; the towns of Verkhnedvinsk, Miory, and Rossony are gasification targets.

In the 5-year period 1.7 ml square meters of housing were built and put into usage (550 thousand of it in the rural areas). As a result 21 thousand families improved their living conditions.

In the years 2001-2005, several national programs were being implemented in the Region; among them were: Presidential program “Children of Belarus”, national program for improving the resource and technical base of public health care institutions, complex long-term program for the development of the town of Polotsk and Polotsk national historical and cultural site-museum.

The Region participated in the national program aimed at bringing the land in order and improvement of public areas of towns and villages. The Region alloted and spent 118 bln RB for the purposes of this program.

Since 1995 Regional authorities have sponsored the purchase of 197 special vehicles for the veterans of the Great Patriotic War with physical disabilities including 29 purchased in 2005; thus, all in need are now provided with proper means of transportation. Within the years 2004-2005, 132 apartments were allocated and 458 phone lines installed for the participants and veterans of the War.

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