Lida Ideologists Imposed Compulsory Levies

Even the ideology department staff is already complaining about the so-called voluntary-compulsory levies.

– I work for a government department of ideology, culture and youth affairs of Lida. My salary is 300 rubles. I am not a member of the Belarusian Red Cross Society. Why should I forcibly give money to the Red Cross? I called to the Belarusian Red Cross Society “Lida District Organization.” I was told that they had a financial plan. As far as I know, the Belarusian Red Cross Society is a public organization, which makes use of citizens’ voluntary contributions.

The newspaper Pryniomanskiya Vestsi describes the situation that way. Chief state labor inspector of Lida Interdistrict department of the Hrodna Regional State Inspectorate Department Aliaksandr Volchek cleared up the situation at its request:

– Nobody has the right to oblige an employee to give money to the Belarusian Red Cross Society Fund, regardless of the salary. According to the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, the citizens of our state have to participate in the financing of public expenditures by paying state taxes, duties and other payments. No one can be compelled to discharging duties not provided by the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus and its laws, or to renouncing of his rights. Thus, each one has to decide personally, according to his personal beliefs, if to donate money to the Belarusian Red Cross Society or other charities.