New restrictions for businessmen

The State Control Committee proposes to ban sole proprietors to withdraw certain sums of money from bank accounts.

The initiative was proposed by the committee's chair Aliaksandr Yakabson at a republican meeting to discuss problems in civil engineering industry and improve the management of executive personnel on December 10, Lukashenka's press service reports.

The current legislation doesn't have any restrictions on withdrawing cash from bank accounts of sole proprietors, including those rendering services in the construction industry, Yakabson says. The official thinks it helps them withdraw cash and use it improperly.

The proposed restrictions can remove conditions for receiving and laundering illegal incomes, Yakabson thinks. He adds the State Control Committee made relative proposals, but the government hasn't taken a final decision yet.

According to the Committee's data, financial investigative bodies revealed 103 economic crimes for 11 months 2013. Courts consider 19 criminal cases. The people involved in the cases may face prison terms. Investigators carry out inquires into the rest crimes. Eight people are in custody.

Other law-enforcement bodies revealed 340 offences, Yakabson says. According to results of the Committee's checks, 368 people received administrative sanctions and 353 people got disciplinary sanctions for offences in the construction industry. More than 80 billion rubles were forfeited to the state. Improper expenses of almost 200 billion rubles were prevented.

Most offences and crimes relate to corruption, using fraudulent schemes to avoid taxes and withdraw cash, embezzlement and frauds, overstatement of the amount and costs of design and construction works, equipment and materials, illegal business activity, violations of constructions rules and regulations, misuse of the funds of people paying for home construction.