№ 62

December

2000

From the editors

2000 approaches the end.

At all markets of Belarus different inspectors have begun to execute the additional schedule from "Grigorich" on the collecting of fines and bribes from businessmen. People are taken money and property away. A lot of people are arrested because they have money with them. Business "will made up" later. Three - five militiamen or tax inspectors who see you for the first time in their life will approve that they have seen by their eyes that things that you never made: traded for currency, hid the income etc. Therefore the question about the January 1, 2000 strike has been solved positively. The question: about terms and duration of this action of the protest. The Republic of Belarus is the only country where new millennium starts from the large strike. So, we shall get in the Giness’s Record book. The practice has shown that short strikes are much more effective than long ones both on number of the participants and on damaging for businessmen. Many businessmen are not ready to long actions of the protest as a month of the strike dooms on half-hungry existence many businessmen and their families. Therefore the Strike Committee and Belorussian Trade union of the Businessmen will recommend to conduct regular, monthly, one-day actions of the protest while we do not achieve our purpose. It is an additional day-off of some kind for businessmen. This day will be established after consultations with our regional representatives and at the sitting of the Co-ordination council of organisations of businessmen on 15.12.2000. As to January, 2001 we offer to strike for 5 days, from January 1 till 5 inclusively. Why 5 days instead of a month?

If we believe our new minister of business and investments on «the third countries» the problem was closed. Nobody will be arrested, on other problems the talks are to start with 12.12.2000. The final solution on strikes will be accepted on the meeting which we are going to held 18.12.2000 (Monday) in Minsk at Bangalor square at 14.00 (the sanction is got). It is very important for all businessmen and their acquaintances to come to take part in this meeting and has resulted familiar. If there are a lot of people at the meeting we shall faster achieve the best results. I shall remind that the six thousand meeting organised by as us in January, 2000 s was the main reason of dismissal of the minister of business A. Sazonov. and chairman of the state tax committee N. Demchuk.

The proposals to realise the meeting, actions of the protest and putting out of the requirements you can address on tel. in Minsk 260-97-75. We, as usually, are going to distribute free of charge ice-creams, sweets, things, if possible etc. it is already a good tradition and we will not break it.

So it happened that in Belarus businessmen should permanently defend their rights to existence. In the next time our legislators "have created" such normative acts for businessmen which stumped them. The sense of these acts is to count all up, to check all, and at a case to select all. Each of you knows that if we execute all requirements of the legislation we will stay with nothing. And what shall we live on? More than 150000 businessmen are compelled daily break those laws which cannot be executed. The Government is satisfied with such a situation. Daily at the markets the crowds of inspectors go trying to find victims whom it is possible to rob legally. Periodically the tax committee and other offices having the right to check something "report" and as "merit" show the sums on which businessmen are fined. They think that they have done a "good" business: have filled up the budget. As if they went to the forest and gathered mushrooms there. They don’t know that behind these fines are someone's tears, someone's sleepless night, debts and other troubles.

Not so long ago in Grodno a woman was fined on 200.000, she had no two jackets on 15000. She is a native Citizen of Belarus, was born in Grodno. She was very frantic. She says: "I have come to the market, I have no debts, and now I should borrow this money! What do these “goats” want from me, if I have paid the tax beforehand? I have hardly made both ends meet and now I do not know what to do!" In general those who are at the office have the "iron" logician: "To select from one beggar and to give another!" We ask what is it the state which on the one hand make citizens break the laws and then fine them?

During the last several years we have tried to inform the government that we are ready to pay taxes. But it should be a reasonable tax which would allow the businessmen to exist. We have tried to inform the government that a businessman engaged in small-batch trade is not capable to keep account as firms do. First of all he does not have time on it and secondly he has no experience of bookkeeping activity.

However the conversation is always broken, the authorities do not want to listen to us. Only then when all of us together integrate our efforts the authorities start to listen to our requirements.

The businessman your have a capability to demonstrate our solidarity! You, first of all. Is a citizen of Belarus and a worthy member of the society! You want to work and to earn to yourself on life. Do not You want to be a law-breaker? If the law is broken by everybody it means that it is necessary to change it. Come and tell about it! Our total number is more than 150 thousand, if even a part will come, our voice will be heard.

The invitation to the meeting.

Dear businessmen.

December 18, 2000 (Monday) at 14.00 a meeting to protect economic and other rights of businessmen will be held. The sanction to meeting is given by the Minsk municipal executive committee. The meeting will pass in Minsk at Bangalor square. People should gather on 18.12.2000 at 13.30 near the restaurant "«McDonald" s» situated at bangalor square. The meeting is organised by the Belorussian Trade union of the Businessmen, the Strike committee of businessmen of the Republic of Belarus, free and independent trade unions of the businessmen. It is very important for each of you and your acquaintances to come to take part in the meeting, to take the placards with you, to say your solid: «No to the outrage of the officials!» From that how many people will come to Bangalor square our life and work in 2001 will depend. At the meeting the economic and personnel problems will be decided. Probably, there will be a question on the dismissal of some ministers, chairmen of administrations, executive committees, markets etc. Finally we shall solve the problem with strike from 1.01.2001. There are following proposals: not to conduct the strike and continue talks, a one-day strike, a strike for 5 days (from 1 till 5.01.2001), a one-month strike, an irredeemable strike. State your opinion.

Those who want to make a speech at the meeting or submit proposals at the meeting can previously phone 260-97-75 (Leonid Kalitenya). The first faces of the state and some ministers will be invited to the meeting.

Our requirements:

1. Cancellation of the Order of the State customs committee of the Republic of Belarus from September 20, 2000 N 55: "About customs registration of the goods imported to the customs territory of the Republic of Belarus from the territory of Russian Federation" in a part concerned with the personal businessmen;

2. Cancellation of administrative and criminal responsibility of the personal businessmen to the formal and far-fetched reasons;

3. Cancellation of obligatory book keeping for the businessmen who pay the fixed rates of the tax. The fly-off slip should be given to the buyer only as the document verifying the purchase;

4. Cancellation of the groundlessly high administrative fines for the personal businessmen. The maximum size of the administrative fine should not exceed 10 minimal wages;

5. Reduction of the rent payment for trade places. The cost of one square meter of the trade area at the markets should not be higher than the cost of square meter of the trade area in a state shop;

6. Non-admission of increase of the present fixed rates of tax for the personal businessmen;

7. Modification in the Decrees of the President of RB #14 from 04.08.97 and #15 from 04.09.98 eliminating the confiscation of goods. The property should be inviolable The confiscation of the property can be done only under the decision of the court and only that which was acquired in a criminal way;

8. Termination of the outrage of the tax organs and bodies of MIA;

9. Introducing of liability of bodies producing the certificates of quality and other documents verifying quality of the goods before a customer. I.e. the customer should have the right to bring a case before the court both to a seller of the poor-quality goods and to a body producing a document verifying quality and safety of the goods.

We need the financial support of the meeting: publishing and distribution of the leaflets, bulletins and propaganda material, rent of the amplifying equipment, purchasing of sweets, ice-cream etc. Christmas holidays will begin soon. Therefore we plan to make small gifts to needy families. The target fee to support the meeting - one thousand roubles is established. Besides we begin simultaneously in Grodno and Minsk the action «Our city». The sense of this action is that we gather food new and used things of businessmen and we give them to needy families, children's houses etc. The Action will last from 15.12.2000 till 31.12.2000. Those who want to hand things at the market "Zhadonovichy" can do it on Sunday, 17.12.2000, at the market "Dinamo" on Saturday, 16.12.2000. The businessmen of other markets, businessmen who want to sacrifice small batches of the goods for the action, can phone 260-97-75. We can submit a car.

If there are few people at the meeting, the problems will appear again and not only present ones.

We thank all citizens of Minsk for their support on 23.11.2000. Due to you the problem of the goods from «the third countries» is almost solved. It is necessary to fix this small success.

Yours faithfully

Valery Levonevsky

E-mail: Employer2001@mail.ru

For the letters 230005, Grodno - 5 subscriber box 63

http://Employer.by.ru http://levonevski.by.ru