Only pro-Lukashenka organisations given rent allowances

The authorities state that only public associations “having constructive weight in the civil society” rent eligible for rent allowances.

It has been stated today by First Deputy Chairman of the State Property Committee Syarhei Pyatkou during an online press-conference at BelTA website.

For a public association to be put on the list of organizations for rent reduction factor of 0.1 is applied to basic rent size, the following approach was used. Activities of an NGO should be aimed at support and assistance to war and labour veterans, orphans, disabled persons, other categories of population demanding social support. Besides, a public association should have a constructive weight in civil society, have an active position in supporting the policy of the state, take part in public campaigns of importance effectively.

The basis of the list was formed by decisions of the Republican commission on regulating the use of office buildings, production space and other state-owned objects, under which a number of public associations are eligible for rent reduction factor of 0.1 to the basic rent rate. Besides regional executive committees and Minsk city executive committee have made additional proposals to put some public associations on the list according to criteria offered by Lukashenka’s administration.

At the moment the list has been created and forwarded to the Council of Ministers. The list includes proposals of regional executive committees and Minsk city executive committee, addresses of public associations addressed to the Council of Ministers and Lukashenka’s administration and forwarded to the State Property Committee for consideration, and also the ones sent to the State Property Committee itself.

We remind that last year independent NGOs, trade unions and oppositional parties faced the situation when rent grew tenfold for them. Most structures oppositional to the government cannot pay such sums for rent.