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6 (72) March 2001 |
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Dear businessmen, colleagues!
Next time circumstances make me address
to you to explain the situation in Belarus and the businessmens movement. It is not a secret for anybody that we
live in the country where the legislation is changed continuously. The
legislative acts putting everybody and everywhere from legs to head can
appear in our state for one night. And result of all this is that in Belarus
thre is no division into legislative, executive and judicial authorities, everything
is concentrated in the hands of one man. The experience of civilised
countries proves that the separation of authorities is not the result in
itself and division is necessary to avoid uncontrolled actions of any wise
high-ranked official including the president of the country. Ill give an example where such lack of
control can result. Let's imagine that by virtue of any reasons the president
has decided that all citizens of Belarus should wear red caps. Probably, he
likes red colour! What then? At present concentration of the authority, who
can "correct" the president? Is it Chamber 2 deprived of rights?
Are they constitutional or supreme courts? Who knows for sure who and when
formed these bodies understands very well that today the president of Belarus
can not be "corrected" by anybody. And everybody will wear red
caps if this thought "visit" A. G. It is possible to imagine how
vertical compliant and devoted to the president will realise this idea, how
Zimovsky, Kaziyatko, Melezhko and other "propagandists" will
provide ideological cover to this "project". It would be nice if
there are only red caps and there can be something more terrible. And how is it possible to guarantee that
1937 will not be repeated in Belarus? You see the conditions for this purpose
are created! Dear businessmen, though many of you
are not interested in the politics but majority of you with wait anxiously
for the innovations of the government in the tax legislation. There are a lot
of reasons to worry about, we are not sure in the tomorrows day. Each day
you come to your place and are afraid whether you are fined or not. For what?
And for something! They have already changed a lot in the legislation for 7
years that any businessman can be fined or his goods can be confiscated.
While all our problems are the same, it is: certification and hygienic
registration, genesis of the goods, slips, every possible fines and
confiscation, ungrounded increase of rent payment for places etc. The new
project of the decree About the single tax has already been
"agreed" for some month in the cabinets of the officials and it
according to the intention of its writers should finish al our problems.
Personally I have repeatedly acquainted with versions of this decree and
participated in its arguing with the officials of different ranks and tried
to inform them about the main requirement of the businessmen: I have paid
the tax and nobody has the right to re-count and to confiscate my goods.
However representatives of many controlling offices trying to leave a
trapdoor for themselves to be possible to check and to count something,
persistently have included the rules which reflect their departmental and
personal interests into the project. The process of the co-ordination was
very long. Since March 1 the minimal wage (MW) was
considerably heightened accordingly in the same proportion the taxes and
fines were increased. Among the businessmen there appeared rumours that the
single tax will be excessive for the majority of them, if it "is
connected" with MW. Many from the businessmen began to speak: It is
necessary to strike. The representatives of the Strike committee of the
businessmen closely watch the situation everywhere in Belarus. March 23 three
businessmen (representatives of the Strike committee) including me met in the
Ministry of business and investments with one of the vice-ministers to find
out the destiny of the project of the decree and to inform the government
that the businessmen next time are driven into the corner. For half an hour
we had discussed problems of the businessmen and the last variant of the
project of the decree about the single tax. We understood the following: - According to the application of the
vice-minister, the project of the decree is in the administration of the
president, its signing is expected at the end of March; - In the project of the decree the
single tax is "bound" not to but to Euro (1 Euro is
approximately 1 dollar); - The bets of the single tax for the
most widespread goods (according to the List) will make from 25 up to 75
Euro; - The particular bets of the single tax
will be established by the regional Council (the Minsk municipal Council); - The new bets are is planned to be
entered since May 1, 2001; - After signing of the decree the
Ministry of business is going to send a letter to all regional councils (the
Minsk municipal Council) with the recommendation to leave the single tax at
the same level up to March, 2001; - The representatives of the ministry
underlined that many problems of the fines, confiscation of goods, slips and
also problem of registration at the custom-house and genesis of the goods
will disappear by themselves after signing of the decree; - The problem of certification and
hygienic registration is being discussed; - The problem of the uncontrolled
increase of the rent payment for trade places according to the application of
the vice-minister will be discussed at the Council of Ministers and will be
included to the problem of antimonopoly policy (Our proposal is that a square
meter of the trade area at the market can not be higher than the rent payment
for a square meter in the state trade established for this territory). Dear businessmen, due to your support,
due to our joint actions, strikes and actions of the protest, representatives
of the STRIKE COMMITTEE have a capability to inform the government about the
demands of the businessmen. We see that there is a definite shift in mutual
understanding, that we can speak one language with some vice-ministers and
they thus understand what we speak about. But it is necessary to keep in mind
that, unfortunately, there are a few
such officials, in the government. It is necessary also to take into account
that any of them can suddenly deprive the position, if somewhere he shows a
definite adherence to principles. When discussing problems we felt the
difference of our situations, on the one hand, in general a competent, but
frightened official, on the other hand we, representatives of the STRIKE
COMMITTEE responsible before you and own conscience. Colleagues! Some Priests Gapons try
today to provoke you on an unprepared strike. The strike should be well
prepared, everybody should be informed (for this purpose we need 20 days as
minimum). The requirements, particular and clear to every businessman should
be prepared for the strike. We do not have secrets from the authority. We for
several years have been spoken about our requirements. The authority can not blame us of
disability to make arrangement, we are permanently knocking on all doors, we
invite the government to the conversation, but our patience is not
indefinite. Knowing that, despite of all co-ordination, the rules making the
position of the businessmen worse can be included in the decree, knowing that
the new legislative acts making the activity of the businessmen impossible
can appear "unexpectedly". Our previous requirements are not
executed: cancellation of certification and hygienic registration at the
markets, decrease of tax burden, discontinuance of an outrage of inspectors,
dismissing of the Chairman of the State Tax Committee of the Republic of
Belarus and the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Belarus. All this
shows the reluctance of government and personally A. Lukashenko to decide our
problems. Moreover, the voices requiring the reduction of number of the
businessmen are heard in the government, they say that the businessmen are
harmful to the budget of the Republic of Belarus!!!? In connection with above-stated the
Strike committee of the businessmen declares about the preparation for two
vernal actions of the protest: 1. April 26, 2001 (Thursday) a
preventive one-day national strike of the businessmen. If the government does
not satisfy our present requirements up to 10.04.2001, 26.04.2001 we shall
put forward and political requirements, namely: - Dismissing of the Government and the
President of the Republic of Belarus. 2. Since May 1, 2001 an irredeemable
strike of the businessmen, with the discontinuance of payment of taxes and
other payments in the budget (we leave amicably in tempering). The main
requirements: - Reduction of the cost of rent payment
for a square meter up to the level of the cost established in this territory
for a state trading agency. - Non-admission of increase of the rates
of the fixed tax in money terms. The fixed rates of tax should be not above
of those established for 1.01.2001 and should not increase up to 1.01.2002. - To cancel the licensing on kinds of
activity appeared after 1995. - Cancellation of the high
administrative fines on small administrative breaches. The administrative fine
in the field of breaches of the legislation connected with the taxation,
trade and business should not exceed 10 Euro or 1/10 from the mean wage in
the Republic of Belarus. - Cancellation of obligatory
certification and hygienic registration (except for products) on the goods
sold at the markets. In this case goods should be on sale with the note - goods are not certificated. - Cancellation of the slips and
obligatory system of the registration for persons who pay the fixed rates of
tax. The slip is given to a buyer only as the document verifying the purchase
of the goods (rendering the service). Yours faithfully. Valery Levonevsky. Question
Answer
Question: Do
the inspectors of the market have the right to check up the certificates of quality
and other documents? Answer: Inspectors at the markets have the
right to do only that things which are regulated by the duty instruction. For
example - to check whether you have paid for a trade place. The duty instruction
of the inspector should be shown on the
first requirement of a businessman. Besides the duty instruction of the
inspector should be put at the place where everybody can se it. The duty instruction
is up only on the basis of the Charter of the organisation (market). Any
Charter of the different markets studied by us does not let the inspector to
check up the certificates of quality, to prohibit the trade, to determine a
person etc. Such actions are permitted only to the specially authorised civil
officers (militia etc.). In a case when an inspector exceeds the service
authorities, it is necessary to institute proceedings against him. Question: What should we do? There appear people
at the markets who invoke as to strikes, unauthorised pickets, meetings and
state that they represent the interests of the businessmen. Answer: The businessmens movement has became a
huge force. Including political. There are new people in our movement who are
really ready to help the businessmen to defend legitimate rights and interests.
It is possible and it is necessary to trust them. But, unfortunately,
adventurers and populists, Priests Gapons, Clowns and other about-the-business
figures have appeared again. They have own purposes and tasks. For one - to
ease our businessmens movement, for others to organise provocations, for
third to gain image for themselves to obtain money resources etc. It happens
that sometimes it is difficult to recognise them, but it is possible. The first
factor is persistence. Find out for yourself: where these people have been when
we within several years conducted the actions of the protest. The following
stage is that it is necessary to establish whether these *people are businessmen.
It is important to update whether they are connected with the radical
opposition (S. Domash, BPF, UCP, Charter - 97, UBB), previous conviction or
discontinued criminal and administrative business for treachery of our
concerns. Notice: according to the information we have criminal and
administrative business concerning some "leaders" of Free and other
trade unions are ceased, or minimum terms and fines are given in exchange for
"the information about us". If the leaflet or appeal are not
signed, or contain a subscript such as "organising committee",
"rada", UBB, Council etc. it is the extreme provocation. As to the
opinion of the Strike Committee of the businessmen, we very well know some persons
(Katya, Maya - "Dynamo", Shevtchenko - Polotsk, Bukov and a
Buchkovsky - UBB, Vitebsk "Sadruzhnosts" and a number of the leaders),
to trust them. The final solution on confidence or non-confidence to a new or
old leader, realisation of the actions of the protest is received by the businessmen
working at a particular market. The most important thing is that a man who
invokes you for the actions of the protest should conduct a balanced and
prepared action, be responsible for the actions instead of hiding behind backs
of the businessmen. Question: Some women visited the market "Dynamo"
and collected subscripts on "empty" sheets, they were going to
organise a campaign on the Minsk Municipal executive committee next week? Answer: According to the information we have
they are not some women but Katya and Maya. Those who traded when we
conducted strikes. They always tried to break our actions of the protest.
What adventure they have again invented, we do not know. The Strike Committee is not connected
with this. As one of the officials of Municipal executive committee said to
us nobody of the businessmen had entered his name to get to the reception and
have addressed with the proposals. And the rates of the tax will be esteemed not
earlier of the second half of April. |
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