Lukashenka issues economic liberalization directive

Alyaksandr Lukashenka on December 31 issued a much-expected economic liberalization directive aimed at boosting private enterprise in the country, BelaPAN said.

The number four directive is designed to “create favorable conditions for the sustainable and consistent development of the Republic of Belarus,” the presidential press office said in its written comments.

The directive, described by the press office as a program document, contains nine sections focusing on the elimination of barriers that private businesses often encounter in the country.

The sections lay out relevant “conceptual” requirements for all governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations and the country’s citizens.

Those include ensuring the further development of bona fide competition between businesses; creating conditions for unimpeded commercial activities; eliminating excessive administrative barriers to the authorities` cooperation with legal entities and citizens; completing the harmonization of Belarusian taxation regulations with those in place in European countries and enhancing them to ensure that they encourage the fulfillment of tax obligations by businesses and bona fide commercial activities; shifting the focus of supervisory and regulatory functions to measures to prevent economic offenses; enhancing finance facilities for small-sized businesses and stepping up legal and organizational support for them; scrapping excessive controls in the labor market; drawing up a legal framework to encourage the development of mechanisms of public-private partnerships; and improving regulations governing business activities to make them stable and unambiguous.

While talking to reporters on Thursday, Mr. Lukashenka promised to issue the directive soon but warned businesspeople against viewing it "as manna from heaven."

The Belarusian leader insisted that the business climate in the country was good even without the directive.

He said that some complaints about the business environment were groundless. "A person goes into business, encounters problems and starts complaining about the lack of proper conditions and obstacles. One should realize that not everyone can do business," he said.

Mr. Lukashenka reiterated his accusation that many businesspeople were reluctant to pay taxes. He stressed that enterprises started for manufacturing import-substituting goods could enjoy tax breaks at the initial stage.

"The liberalization directive must give some additional impetus. So if someone abroad or in our country waits for this directive as manna from heaven, this is a big mistake. They must start working already now, we have everything for it," he said.

"Belarus News"