Lohvinau bookstore collects enough money to pay fine

belsat.eu

The independent publisher Lohvinau has raised about Br976 million without taxes from private donations to pay the fine of Br967 millions.

The Lohvinau bookstore is ready to pay in time the necessary amount of the fine. The website in support of the publishing house states that they have collected nearly $66 thousand (about 976 million rubles). At the same time, the fine that the Economic Court of Minsk ordered them to pay on January 9 is 967 million rubles.

"We have a schedule that is determined by the Court, - tells the businessman Ihar Lohvinau  Euroradio about their mishap. - By April 16, we have to pay the first part, and by May 16 - to settle permanently. But if we already have the full amount, we have time. Currently, the sum on the site does not include any interest, because the bank charges 2% for each payment, we also pay a single tax of 5%... That is, we have not yet calculated everything, but most likely there will be even extra money left."

The owner plans to spend the money remaining after payment of the fine on "updating the bookshelves", acquisition of a cash register and on solving other issue at the bookstore.

Let us recall that in October 2013, the Lohvinau publishing house lost its license due to the release of the album Belarus Press Photo 2011, which was recognized as 'extremist literature' for the photos published inside. Since January 2014, in Belarus all booksellers have been obliged to pass a state registration procedure. Bureaucratic barriers de facto function as censorship. The Lohvinau bookstore tried to register six times during the year, but always got refused for ridiculous reasons. Currently, the publishing house is in operation. The money collected using 'a single thread from everyone' approach will actually be used to rescue the company and its assets.