December

1999

February 1, 2000 is the beginning of the all-republican strike of the businessmen

16.12.99 the all-republican conference of the chairmen of the businessmen’s structures and organisations was held.

The meeting was "hot". On conference there were representatives of all regions and. Minsk. The main problem - to start or to not start the strike. During the conference all "for" and all "against" were discussed. The businessmen were unanimous in the point that the strike should be conducted. Those who made speech on the conference marked that fact that the situation of the businessmen is degraded with each day. The consumer capacity of the population drops and the state enters new taxes which increase the cost of the goods. The state on behalf of A. Lukashenko, courts controlled by him, prosecutor's offices, militia and controlling bodies has created a system to liquidate the private initiative in the sphere of small business. The answers getting when the survey of more than 15.000 businessmen and people working on hiring (interrogation was realised in all regional centres, Minsk and 23 district centres) has been conducted show that in the state the huge state system on the extortion of the bribes by the administration of the markets (for the rent of trade places) and by militia and tax organs is created. The solution about the beginning of the strike in February, 2000, minimum for one month is accepted. Why not from 1.01.2000? There are some reasons. At first, not all regions will be informed about the strike up to 1.01.2000, therefore, not everyone will have enough time to get ready to it. Secondly, it is necessary to conduct propaganda and information activity on this problem. Thirdly, it is necessary to give a chance to the authority to correct half-delirious Decrees and rules controlling the businessmen’s activity and the taxation, in fourth, in January, 2000 many will leave in tempering since there is no trade. The notice: the solution about the beginning of the strike immediately in case if of a beginning of mass punitive and confiscation measures on the part of the state start remains valid.

The conference considers that it is invalid to introduce a value added tax for persons paying the fixed rates of tax, as, at first, it will sharply increase the final price of the goods. Secondly, the fixed rate of the tax also was entered as the single tax from the businessmen’s activity and to supplement this tax by one more tax superior than the main one in some times is full idiocy.

The businessmen has still no intelligible answer from the government what for to certificate the goods having certificates of other countries, what for to certificate things which are not certificated all over the world. Such "certification" except for increase of the final price of the goods gives nothing. The customer (price of the goods sharply increases ) suffers, the businessman suffers (expenses are increased). The inspectors of all layers have fun and lard. Is it care of safety of the citizens? No! It is a usual hypocrisy and cheating of the inspectors. Money from air. Nothing make and get money for the certification of the goods which is not necessary to anybody. Why hypocrisy? Because the real certification can be conducted only in conditions of a firm-manufacturer. It was very necessary to certificate a great many of the goods. It was necessary to us to call a strike on September 1, 1999 – the list of the goods which are the subject to obligatory certification has sharply decreased.

About what does it says? That the certification is necessary only for the officials. They have frightened of strikes and reduced the list. The safety of the citizens in this state interests nobody but all are covered by it.

The businessmen want to achieve one - to pay taxes and quietly to work. Really do not those who have the authority in their hands understand it?!

Abstract from the protocol of the conference from 16.12.99, Minsk

Listened: About the situation in the field of development of business and taxation in regions and Minsk.

Decided:

1.      To consider the situation in the Republic of Belarus in the field of development of business and taxation as invalid critical.

2. To consider widespread bribes on the part of the employees of militia and tax services when the goods are transported and realised as the crime against the citizens. To mark out that fact that the favourable conditions for racket, extortion of bribes and mockeries at the businessmen is created by the state by issuing the appropriate Decrees and subordinate legislation.

Listened: About realisation of the actions of the protest in January February, 2000.

Decided:

1.      To conduct 31.01.2000 the meeting in Minsk to protect economical and other rights of the businessmen and other citizens of the Republic of Belarus. To establish a target voluntary fee to realise this meeting at a rate of 0.2 minimal wages. The collections to realise this meeting should be conducted on the slips of the established example (forms of the strict reporting) by the person specially authorised for this.

2. To begin the all-republican strike of the businessmen with 1.02.2000 with the termination of payment of taxes and other payments.

Our requirements:

1)     Cancellation (simplification) of the obligatory book keeping for people who have paid the fixed rates of taxes.

2) To pronounce "moratorium" to increase the rates of the fixed tax.

3)Cancellation of the value added tax (VAT) for persons paying the fixed rates of the tax.

4) Cancellation of the obligatory certification and hygienic registration of the goods for the goods realised in the markets with an obligatory checkmark "the goods is not certificated in RB". An admission of the certificates of other countries.

5) Cancellation of the decrees of A. Lukashenko #14 and #40.

6) To stop extortion of bribes on the part of militia, tax inspectors and administrations of the markets, workers of executive committees.

7) To stop rackets and extortion on the part of the government officials when the goods are transported from Russia in Belarus.

2.1. To conduct surveys concerning the actions of the protest in 2000.

2.2. Questions on payment for the rent of places should be decided individually in each market.

Listened: organisational problems to create republican organisations (of businessmen, taxpayers, customers, voters, party)

Decided:

1.      To create the republican trade union of the businessmen. To assign the constituent congress on the second half of January-beginning of February, 2000. To publish the project of the Charter of the trade union in the Bulletin "Businessman". To create a working group on the analysis of the remarks and additions in the project of the Charter.

2. To create the republican (branch) trade union of the businessmen at STUB (January-February, 2000)

3. To organise work to create the Republican organisations on different directions:

Protection of the rights of the taxpayers,

Protection of the rights of customers,

Voters,

Female organisation of the businessmen,

Youth and children's organisations,

Charitable organisation

(February - April 2000)

4. To conduct interrogation (survey) about the necessity of creation of a party (of businessmen of a middle class).

December, 1999 - first half of January, 2000.

Financing of these programs should be executed at the expense of own and attracted means.

To appoint responsible persons for spent measures according to appendix #1 to this protocol.

General management to fulfil this protocol should be assigned V. S. Levonevsky.

Fools

December 12 in Brest at the central market (collective-farm) the members of the Free trade union of the businessmen Oleg Podgaetsky and Dmitry Podgaetsky who distributed the trade-union literature and conducted survey (interrogation) of the businessmen about extortion of bribes on the part of tax and law enforcement bodies were arrested. Oleg and Dmitry had been kept in militia more than two hours without the basis. They were forced to give testimonies against themselves, they were limited in the rights, they were threatened to be beaten by special means and to be arrested for 15 day. Even in a toilet they were forbidden to go during the detention. The protocol of the detention as a rule was not made. And the active workers of the trade union were released because they did not give "frank" admissions.

The employees of Militia prohibited (!!!) Oleg and Dmitry to come in Brest and “said” that they shouls immediately leave Brest.

Such actions of the employers of militia are estimated by us as an outrage, breaches of rights of the trade union, exceeding of the authority, illegal limitation of the rights and legitimate interests of the citizens.

Why were the keepers of the order in Brest so disturbed. Maybe, questions in the Questionnaire connected with the extortion of bribes at the market by the militiamen in ? There is something to think about …. to prosecutor's office of Brest.

Whether it is possible to call those who is given the power and is engaged in the above described "nonsense” as the normal people. And in the meantime Oleg and Dmitry again are going to visit Brest to distribute the new trade-union literature.

"OUR CITY"

December 14, 1999 in the Puppet Theatre of Grodno the charitable Action (continuation of a number of the charitable Actions "OUR CITY") was held.

About three hundred children looked the performance "Three pigs", got gifts and sweets from the businessmen of Grodno. The gifts were formed at the expense of means of the Grodno trade union of the businessmen (the head is A. Vasiliev), Grodno organisation of the Working Women (GOWW-the head is M. A. Levonevskaya), Free Trade union of the workers of the joint company "Alforma" (the head is I. I. Bairashevskaya), personal means of some businessmen.

According to the women-mothers such a holiday, when gifts are given to their children, they saw for the first time. At the same day the charitable action in the Children's house (60 children) was held.

The organisers of the Action express personal thanks for the help in organisation of this measure to:

Oleg Podgaetsky,

Dmitry Podgaetsky,

Oleg Shumel,

Victor Podchinenkov,

Marat Yunosov,

Vladimir Sovtsa,

Irina Ivanovna Bairashevskaya (GOWW)

Lidia Ivanovna Zatsepina (GOWW)

Elizaveta Adolphophna Zatsepina (GOWW)

Marina Alexandrona Levonevskaya (GOWW)

Anna Ivanovna Sevastnovich (GOWW)

Elena Lvovna Tolstopyatova (GOWW)

Natalia Leonidovna Panchuk (GOWW)

Anna Ivanovna Budnik (GOWW)

Anzhela Evgenievna Davydik (GOWW)

To the employees of children's sanatorium "Belarus" of Druskininkai.

30.12.99 we are going to congratulate children from the Children's house (parents of whom are deprived of the mother rights) the "chiefs" of which we became on own initiative. We invite all businessmen and simply citizens to participate in our charitable actions (phone/fax (0152) 31-30-62 Marina Alexandrovna) pager 73-00-00 subscriber 95200. E-mail: grbotg@mail.ru

How can a businessman leave on a holiday

January-February is time of holidays for businessmen.

Each citizen has the right to rest. This right is fixed in the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus. Many businessmen before leaving on a holiday do not know how to do this. The local tax bodies, the administrations of the markets have complicated this process and now they nothing understand.

Let's begin from the tax inspection. If you leave on a holiday equally for one month from the first number of month it is not necessary to write any applications in the tax body. The requirement to write an application to leave on a holiday is illegal and is controlled by article 167 of the criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus (CC RB) "Exceeding one's authority or service authorities" and is the breach of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus (compulsion to fulfil duties unforeseen by the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus and its laws). A businessman has the right to write the application on a holiday but is not obliged to do this (in this case). You can, for self-calm, submit the appropriate application. The tax organ is obliged to accept this application. Other business, when you are going to star working in the middle of a month. Then you should in the application to point days when you are going to start to trade and you pay taxes only for these days. There are cases when the applications are not taken by the tax inspections. This is a direct breach of the laws of the Republic of Belarus "About the State Tax Inspection" and "About the appealing of the citizens". You can get material compensation from this inspection through the court for the intellectual harm. Any applications of the citizens the tax organ is obliged to take to consideration. The connection between the rent of trade places and payment of taxes is far-fetched. None of the legislative acts foreseen such a connection. Therefore the requirement of the tax body to pay taxes because you have paid the rent of a trade place is illegal. Demand the written disposals to pay taxes in case of your holiday from the tax body.

Example of the application in the tax body:

To the head of ISTC on Leninsky district of Minsk

(You indicate that tax organ in which you are registered)

I.I. Sidorova, living (indicate the address)

The application

I inform you that I leave on a holiday from 1.02.2000 for the period of one month. If necessary to submit any additional documents or payments I ask you to let me know (in writing).

Date                        signature.

The application is submitted in duplicate (one remains for you) in the reception of a tax inspection or is sent by mail by the certified letter.

In the administration of the market one writes the similar application.

To the head of the market (naming of the market, city)

I.I. Sidorov, living (indicate the address)

The application

As I leave on a holiday from 1.02.2000 to 1.03.2000, I ask to keep my work place number 555 over me on time of a holiday.

Date               signature.