Lukashenka: Businessmen are threat to our stability

Alyaksandr Lukashenka finds the work of the government in regulating individual entrepreneurship activities in the country ineffective.

“Today, blaming the global financial crisis the government suggests postponing adoption of amendments to the business activities terms. The global crisis, of course, should be taken into account. In this situation it is again obvious that neither businessmen nor the government are ready to settle the long-standing problem in a civilized way,” A. Lukashenka

The Belarusian leader reminded that in 2001 customs clearance of goods manufactured in third countries and imported from Russia was cancelled, and single tax was introduced.

“This gave the impetus to the development of entrepreneurship. Simplified taxation and customs clearance rules were instituted for some individual entrepreneurs, which created more advantageous conditions for some entrepreneurs comparing to other businessmen,” Lukashenka said.

As said by him, “the course of events showed we needed to smooth out those trends.” The issue became especially urgent after Belarus and Russia changed the principle of levying VAT in bilateral trade. “Individual entrepreneurs and the government were unprepared for this,” the Belarusian leader stated.

In this connection, Lukashenka noted, a number of documents was adopted. In line with then a simplified procedure of importing goods has been extended for some period of time, in order to let individual entrepreneurs develop muscles and get prepared for a higher level of business organisation. .

“We have agreed to make concessions again, and that the deadline for introducing equal conditions will be January 1, 2009,” A. Lukashenka said.

“In this connection, I have got a question to the government: why does the Council of Ministers bring up a brand new initiative and suggest postponing these amendments on the eve of the deadline?” the president stressed.

A. Lukashenka reminded that over the last 3.5 years “almost nothing has been done to create optimal and equal working conditions for economic entities”.

The major goal which was to create wholesale warehouses in every region for centralized imports of goods has not been accomplished. The system of customs clearance and other numerous procedures remain complicated and cost-ineffective, the president said.

“Why the governors haven’t created these warehouses? Where are these schemes, warehouses? Why they haven’t been created, Syarhei [Sidorski]?” A. Lukashenka asked.

The ruler has stated: “The government has left things to take their own course, thinking that everything would resolve itself. “Instead of working on a systematic basis, preventing negative social developments, the government is dragging behind again,” A. Lukashenka said.

The leader of the state explained that the government offers “not to move anything” in relations with individual entrepreneurs, “leaving a hole on the border”.

“Is there a guarantee that goods for billions of rubles won’t be imported to us under a disguise of individual entrepreneurs’ activities? Isn’t it a threat to the today’s stability?” A. Lukashenka said.

In this connection he demanded the Council of Ministers and related structures of state administration “without social aggravation and political frenzy to carry out well-directed and well-balanced economic policy relating both individual entrepreneurs and other groups of the business world”.

“We have to take concerted efforts, without dogmatism and narrow-departmental approach, to work out most optimal measures to solve the acute problems of today taking into consideration both modern-day challenges and the national interests of maintaining the economic and social stability,” Lukashenka stated.