Anatoli Shumchanka: The government pushes entrepreneurs to the protests and politics

If the officials do not want to listen to the entrepreneurs, "we have to proceed to the plan "B".

On January 30 the working group at the Public Advisory Council at the Ministry of Economy did not support the draft of the presidential decree on simplification of FE, developed by the NGO "Perspective". The draft decree is known as the "National Project" among entrepreneurs. Businessmen who participated in the meeting left it immediately.

"Officials just ignore all our suggestions, they are not willing to listen to anything. So, we have to proceed to plan "B". We plan to create an initiative group, register it in the CEC and collect 50,000 signature sheets to get the right for a legislative initiative and introduce the "National Project" to the parliament", - explained Anatoli Shumchanka in his interview with the "EuroBelarus" Information Service.

As the leader of the "Perspective" mentioned, "the right steps are important, because it might not be enough for the government to take us seriously if we just collect signatures." "If you follow the whole procedure of registration of an initiative group, obtain forms enabling to legally collect signatures, which is, in fact, the same picket lines, it will create a whole campaign, which will have a political meaning as well. If officials refuse the people’s request, the people have the right to take the initiative. And we want to use this right. I doubt the officials will be ecstatic about it,"- promised Anatoli Shumchanka.

The initiative group will start its work immediately after the next Business Forum, which is to be held in late February-early March.

"I must emphasize that this is not us who lead the entrepreneurship to protests - the conditions for protests are created by the government itself.", - underlines Anatoli Shumchanka.

The "Perspective", despite the forced turn to politics announced by Anatoliu Shumchanka, is not going to cooperate with any other players in the political field.

The main provisions of the "National project"

To enable self-employed businessmen, engaged in retail trade, to pay a fixed fee as an alternative form of payment of taxes. It is offered to allow the payment of the fixed fee to the entrepreneurs selling exclusively non-food goods, except for the items made of precious metals and stones, securities, furs, furniture and large household appliances, computers and mobile devices, spare parts for cars, petroleum products through petrol stations, tobacco products, periodicals and other specific goods.

Introduce tax incentives for the entrepreneurs who retail non-food items made in Belarus.

Allow the entrepreneurs - payers of a fixed fee to trade non-food products (except for the children's products), imported from the EAEC without declarations of conformity, certificates, etc.

Arguments of the Ministry of Economy

"The initiative group was informed that the Ministry of Economy sent the project to other governmental bodies. Ministry of antimonopoly regulation and Trade, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Taxes and Duties, Ministry of Economy and the State Standard did not approve of the project. The position of the state can be summarized as follows:  the project allows for unequal business conditions and major opportunities for the counterfeit of goods ", - states the official message of the Ministry.