Levonevsky Calls to Cancel Decree on Single Taxation for Entrepreneurs :: Charter'97 :: News

Chairman of the Striking committee of the Belarusian entrepreneurs Valery Levonevsky addressed with an open letter the deputies of the “national assembly” concerning Alexander Lukashenko’s recent decree “On single tax, due to be levied from entrepreneurs and some other measures on regulating entrepreneurial activities”. According to the businessman, the decree is legally unsophisticated and strongly restricts the rights of citizens, as envisaged by the Constitution. Valery Levonevsky called on deputies to either review the document or cancel it.

Levonevsky’s statement reads that art.13 of the state Constitution guarantees to all people equal rights in carrying out economic activities, while provision 1.11 of the decree cancels this constitutional norm. Moreover, according to the entrepreneur, provision 1.18 introduced an evil practice when the businessman is obliged to make an advance monthly payment for the trading place, he occupies. Thus he is stripped of an opportunity to move around the marketplace and the city for selling his goods.

There are dozens of such violations of human and trade union rights, as well as clear contradictions with the Constitution in the decree, says Levonevsky. Its passage will inevitably lead to a massive entrepreneurs’ wave of protests. In this connection, Valery Levonevsky called on “deputies” to either consider the decree more thoroughly or better annul it.