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Belarusian laws not bring in foreign capital

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Belarusian laws not bring in foreign capital

The Belarusian legislation on foreign donations is the subject of criticism, and not conducive to bringing in foreign capital.

On March 30 the legal adviser of the Assembly of non-governmental democratic organizations (NDO) Yury Chavusau stated it during the press conference in Minsk, BelaPAN reports.

"Only criminal liability for violation of procedure of receipt of foreign funding sets Belarus in a number of countries with the worst regime for not-profit organizations. Such responsibility is practiced in Bahrain, Egypt, Uganda, and in some other very exotic places", he said.

He reminded the Department for Humanitarian Affairs of the Property Management Directorate had announced the preparation of a new legal act aimed at refinement of a procedure of receipt and use of foreign donations and proposed to the public organizations to speak out their suggestions on it.

"I think this legal initiative is not aimed to worsen conditions for non-profit organizations from a perspective of receipt of a foreign donations and it is worth to be welcomed. It is a good sign that the Department has announced consultations. It indicates its desire to listen to organizations, which deal with the aid", Chavusau mentioned.

But, he emphasized, the draft decree which was available to the NDO Assembly "indicates it does involve the objective to bring in more funding". "Therefore, the state bodies should seriously consider proposals of non-profit organizations, because they know how to create conditions for bringing in more money for socially important businesses in the country", the lawyer believes.

According to Chavusau, the draft decree has provisions on "numerous approvals and the procedure for obtaining assistance are too bureaucratized.

"Of course, the great humanitarian programs, which are also approved by the President, will be implemented in Belarus. But there will be fewer opportunities to attract small funds (and in all countries small donors provide the civil society with a great part of funds). Small donors will be less active in Belarus", he said.

Chavusau says that now at a high level the EU discusses new strategy of assistance for all foreign countries in general. "There is an approach according to which the middle-income countries (such as Belarus), in principle, may not be considered as recipients which are worthy of European assistance. In this case such draft decrees may be an impetus for lower funds", he said.

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