Leaflets telling about real “spongers” in Liuban

Leaflets telling people who are the real “spongers” that must pay tax appeared in the town of Liuban.

“The dictionary of the Russian language defines 'sponger' as ' one who lives off other people'. We think the police, BRSM (a pro-presidential youth organisation) and state-owned media, who live at our expense but serve only the interests of the authorities, fall under this category. To be serious, this law scares our people, who are already poor. When we were pasting the leaflets, people ask us if it was true that those working unofficially would be punished and the minimum service record would be raised,” Liuban residents say.

A tax on “social parasites” is expected to be introduced in Belarus. All people of working age who do not contribute to funding public expenditure will have to pay a special tax, according to the decree on promoting employment.