Aliaksandr Sasnou: In absence of Russia's help the state will be looking for new ways to rob people

The notion “idlers” is having an increasingly broad interpretation. Will it help to replenish the budget or are the authorities just distracting people from more essential problems?

Let us recall that the authorities are planning to levy a tax on the able-bodied Belarusans who are not taking part in funding state expenses. The corresponding tax is provided by the decree about the stimulation of employment, which will be completed within a month on the instructions of Aliaksandr Lukashenka.

As the head of state said earlier, about 500 thousand able-bodied Belarusan citizens are not officially employed anywhere, are not paying taxes, but are still using social benefits provided by the state.

On December 19 the Tax and Duties Minister Siarhei Nalivaika told about his understanding of the notion “an idler”, or “a loafer” on Belarus-1. According to him, on the one hand, asocial unemployed people are freeloaders. On the other hand, those who get paid for doing illegal business and get their wages in the form of black cash are freeloaders too as they do not pay taxes, the Minister claimed.

”These two categories of citizens are freeloaders,” Nalivaika claims.

The former Minister of Labor Aliaksandr Sasnou believes that the by calling loaders those who get their wages in the form of black cash the Tax and Duties Minister is substituting concepts.

- This is wrong, they are not loafers, - stated Sasnou in the interview with “EuroBelarus” Information Service. – They are working, but are not paying taxes; another term is to be used there.

- What the authorities want to achieve?

- They have to replenish the budget. The main sponsor – Russia – is cocking a snook as its own pockets are empty. So they look for ways of how to rob people.

- Can the tax on loafers sufficiently replenish the budget?

- I don’t know, whether we’ll manage to replenish it. Well, for certain amount they might do that; however, the fuss is still greater than the future results.

- However, this is not the most popular step; besides, it is to be taken on the threshold of the presidential campaign.

- Well, all the measures related to extension of taxes are unpopular for population. But on the other hand, where will we get the money for new castles, planes with gold closet basins and so on?

- Earlier on the threshold of election the authorities were taking stimulatory steps. Are they more confident now?

- The authorities learned to hold election without election. I think this time they will hold them the same way. Everything is under control, defence and law enforcement agencies with salaries 3-5 times bigger than mere mortals are everywhere. Naturally, they will defend this regime by all means.

- Can those who are not working be made to do that by administrative measures?

- Those who are called tramps can hardly be made work. These antisocial elements didn’t work, aren’t working, and won’t work. Well, strictly speaking, the authorities aren’t going to make them work; they just pretend.

The main thing for authorities is money. They need to find those who work according to grey schemes and take a piece of bread away from them.