Spongers are also those receiving backdoor salary

Spongers are also those receiving backdoor salary.

Siarhei Nalivaika, the Minister of Taxation, said it on "Belarus 1" TV channel.

Explaining the concept of parasitism, he said that on the one hand, these are people engaged in an anti-social way of life, and on the other, they are social dependants, engaged in illegal business, and paid out backdoor salary, so they do not fully pay taxes".

Together, these two categories form the class of sponges, the Minister added.

Siarhei Nalivaika noted that the draft decree on the promotion of citizens’ employment provides a rule which allows a citizen to prove that he is not a sponger. "A peson has the right to come to a tax office and to submit documents proving he is not a sponger that he is involved in the financing of government spending, and it will be accepted. Even if there any mistake at the tax inspectorate level, the citizen has the right to go to court", the Minister said.

Siarhei Nalivaika believes that it is necessary to strengthen responsibilities, create an atmosphere of intolerance to this phenomenon in society, as well as to strengthen proactive measures, including the tax authorities in order to combat spongers effectively.