He ordered the suspension of Decree No. 3 - “On the Prevention of Social Dependency,” better known as the “law on parasites.” Throughout 2017, fines prescribed by this document will not be issued to Belarusian citizens.

“During March, if necessary, we need to adjust this decree. But the decree will not be canceled. First of all, tell the officials that it will be implemented with the adjustments that I mentioned,” the press service of the President of Belarus quotes Lukashenko’s words.

The politician also emphasized that the purpose of the law is not economic, but moral: to encourage the population to go to work.

“Control is with the governors and the mayor of Minsk. You should have these lists of slackers there who need to be forced to work. And honest people should not have been touched at all. We should not offend people, especially at this time,” Lukashenko said.

“And those who today, 200-500 people each, take to the streets and start shouting, these are not those parasites who are really parasites. These are mainly the people who are offended, to whom we sent these notices out of the blue,” added the Belarusian leader.

Mass street protests have been going on in Belarus since mid-February - something like this has not happened since the 2010 presidential elections. The protest wave, however, was not initiated by the opposition: it is not so much political activists who take to the streets, but people who have never participated in public protests before. Belarusians oppose the so-called tax on parasites.

Decree No. 3 “On the Prevention of Social Dependency” was a problem for official Minsk. The document was initiated and signed by Alexander Lukashenko, and for him to back down publicly meant losing face. But at the same time, it was obvious that the wave of protests was growing, and, which is completely unusual for Belarus, it was spreading through provincial cities. For example, in Vitebsk, the protest against the tax on parasites turned out to be the largest in the history of the city, which neither the authorities nor the opposition expected.

The culmination of the protests was expected on the so-called “Freedom Day” - March 25. The Minsk authorities apparently did not want to repeat the riots of 2010 that rocked the country after the presidential elections.

Until now, no one had dispersed the performances of the “parasites” - but then their participants en masse received summonses from the police and “24 hours” under administrative protocols. State television at the same time intimidated with the prospect of a “Maidan” and “militants with Molotov cocktails.”

It became clear at the beginning of the week that the decree on parasites would be changed. On March 6, Deputy Speaker of the Belarusian Parliament Boleslav Pirshtuk met with representatives of the opposition (which is extremely rare for Belarus) and promised that by mid-March the decree would be seriously revised and the list of social dependents would be significantly reduced.

A very bad experiment

In theory, the goal of Decree No. 3 was to “bring out of the shadows” people working unofficially, without paying taxes and social fees. However, the fact that “non-state” sociology is banned in Belarus has played a cruel joke on the country’s leadership. The fact is that official sociologists gave Alexander Lukashenko a figure of 500 thousand people who do not participate in financing government spending. The head of the country, in his speeches, began to publicly call them parasites, and soon signed a decree providing for a special collection from such people.

According to the document, if a citizen does not work 183 days a year (and is not registered as unemployed), then he must pay a special fee - 360 Belarusian rubles ($185) for 2015 (until February 20, 2017). And another 420 rubles for 2016 (until November 15, 2017). The total is $400, which is higher than the average monthly salary in the country. In total, the tax department sent out about 470 thousand notices for payment of the fee.

That is, every tenth citizen of working age received a letter of happiness.

However, the result was unexpected for the authorities: instead of money, they received mass civil disobedience. The vast majority of tax evaders are not underground “guild workers” at all, but residents of the provinces working in dying factories, where they are employed one or two days a week and receive almost nothing. These people cannot get another job - it simply doesn’t exist. Among the “parasites” were also mothers who stayed at home with small children.

People also do not want to register as unemployed. Unemployment benefits in Belarus are $10 per month, are issued only for a limited time, and the unemployed must still participate in unpaid public works.

As a result, by February 20 (the deadline for paying the fee), despite threats of fines and imprisonment, only 10% of those who received notices had paid the fee. But protests by “parasites” began: in February they took place in Minsk, Gomel, Vitebsk, Brest, Bobruisk and Baranovichi. The rally in Minsk became the largest since the dramatic events of 2010. But the main thing is that people who have never before participated in opposition actions took to the streets.

Even the recent increase in the retirement age did not cause such a painful reaction. Not only the authorities were unprepared for such protests, but also the opposition leaders, who belatedly and largely unsuccessfully began trying to lead street actions.

Economics of parasitism

While citizens on the streets are outraged that the state is demanding money from the unemployed and mothers with small children, economists point to blatant failures in government administration. For example, against the backdrop of the crisis that has lasted since December 2014, Belarus is losing 70 thousand jobs every year. But at the same time, enterprises often do not fire people who are actually unemployed—local authorities prohibit them from doing so, so as not to spoil the statistics.

Meanwhile, the number of paid services has grown so much that Belarus can no longer be called a “social state.” Many benefits for schoolchildren, pensioners and Chernobyl victims have been cancelled.

Prices in the country are such that everyone who can tries to go for food and consumer goods to neighboring Lithuania and Poland, where everything is half the price. Weekend trips to “purchase” abroad in Belarus have become widespread in recent years (in particular, Belarusians provide more than 40% of the turnover of Vilnius stores).

However, the main failure of the tax on parasites is that its administration turned out to be much more expensive than the amounts received into the budget. Since 90% of those notified refuse to pay, officials have to deal with each case individually. As a result, the work of tax inspectorates, local executive committees, and, to a large extent, clinics was simply blocked, since doctors had to find out whether the “parasite” suffered from diseases that did not allow him to work in 2015 and 2016.

In addition, it turned out that government databases on citizens of different departments do not fit with each other. Often notifications came in the names of people who had died long ago or were living abroad.

“The state does not return the money”

The Belarusian correspondent of Gazeta.Ru also received from the tax office a “letter of happiness for parasites” - a requirement to “take part in financing government spending for 2015.” However, then everything was quite simple. It was necessary to get to , show the ID of the correspondent of Gazeta.Ru in Belarus, and then send documents from the editorial office by e-mail. Two weeks later, a letter came back with an official notification that the demand for payment of the fee was “cancelled.”

This is happening to many Belarusians, who, since November 2016, have also received demands to pay the tax on parasites. It is enough to write a statement indicating almost any reason why you could not work in 2015, and the requirement to pay the fee will be canceled.

This is probably how the authorities are trying to reduce the intensity of mass protests - not by canceling Decree No. 3 itself, but by reducing the number of potential Protestants.

“The Belarusian authorities will not cancel the decree, but they will not demand payment of tax for 2016. It’s more difficult in 2015, since some people have already paid the tax. Simply canceling it retroactively won’t work—you’ll have to return the money to those “parasites” who have already paid the tax,” Olga Karach, a Belarusian politician and head of the Our Home civil campaign, told Gazeta.Ru. “But our state does not return the money.”

However, for now Lukashenko promises the opposite. According to him, in 2017, “parasites” will get their money back if they get a job. The funds already collected, meanwhile, will remain in the area and go to schools and other children's institutions.

“I have several friends who had a rather controversial situation about whether they should or should not pay this tax. It is customary in our country that the state interprets all doubts in its favor. But then something completely unusual happened: all doubts were interpreted in people’s favor, and they were exempted from payments,” says Gazeta.Ru’s interlocutor.

“I think that before the end of 2017 the tax on parasites will be quietly forgotten. No one will ask the tax office if he needs to pay anything else, and she herself will not remind. This will be an unspoken agreement between citizens and the state that will allow the authorities to save face,” Karach added.

According to the latest data, more than 400 thousand Belarusians received notifications about payment of the fee. Many of them have a lot of questions. Why did the 6th year students of the medical university receive notifications? What should a pregnant woman who is not hired do? And how will they react to those who refuse to pay the fee?

Hello. Students who graduated from BSMU this year received notices of the need to pay a tax on parasitism. Someone didn’t let the tax authorities know that they were studying there for 6 years, not 5. As a result, all the graduates turned out to be parasites. So what now? Pay tax? Alexander

If you were a student, you do not have to pay. Submit a supporting document from the dean's office. You can send it electronically through the website.

- I studied for 181 days, and June 30 is the date for issuing my diploma. It's arrived letter. The tax office said to pay 360 rubles. Naturally, I don’t think this is fair, because paying 360 rubles because 2 days a year was not enough for me to not be considered a parasite is somehow nothing. And I would like to apply for tax exemption. Or at least reduce the amount of the fee. Sergey

Clause 5 of Decree No. 3 establishes periods of labor and other activities that are taken into account when determining the number of days of participation in financing public expenditures.

In particular, subclause 5.15 of clause 5 of the decree establishes that a citizen is recognized as participating in the financing of public expenditures during the period of receiving full-time education, with the exception of additional education for children and youth and additional education for adults when mastering the content of the educational program of training courses (lectures, thematic seminars, workshops, trainings, officer courses and other types of training courses) and educational programs to improve the capabilities and abilities of the individual.

Since the period of your participation in financing government expenditures is less than 183 calendar days and information about other periods of your participation in 2015 in financing government expenditures was not submitted to the tax authorities in the prescribed manner, and this information is not included in your application, then you are recognized as a payer of the fee for 2015.

At the same time, the norms of the decree do not provide for the possibility of reducing the amount of the fee in proportion to the number of days of participation in financing public expenditures.

Additionally, we inform you that in accordance with paragraph 151 of the decree, local Councils of Deputies or on their instructions, local executive and administrative bodies have the right to exempt citizens from paying taxes due to being in a difficult life situation (whereby a difficult life situation is understood as an objective circumstance (set of circumstances) , independent of the citizen, which he cannot overcome due to the available capabilities). Thus, you have the right to contact the Council of Deputies or the district executive committee with an application for exemption from paying the fee for 2015.

I have been living in France for a long time, I come home once a year for a couple of days. My parents received a notice that I must pay a parasitism tax. They asked me to bring a work contract or a marriage certificate as proof of my residence. The father translated the certificate, notarized it, and paid 40 rubles. But then I learned that it’s enough to simply write an electronic appeal to the Ministry of Taxes stating that I live abroad, and the tax authorities themselves can check this using the exit-entry database. I did so. I received an answer that I am exempt from the fee. But the tax office still requires confirmation. Who is right? And what is the algorithm of action in such a case?

Citizens who were actually on the territory of the Republic of Belarus for less than 183 calendar days in 2015 are completely exempt from paying a fee to finance government expenditures for 2015. To do this, you need to inform the tax authority that during 2015 you were actually in the territory of the Republic of Belarus for less than 183 days. Or indicate the time period during which you were in the territory of the Republic of Belarus in 2015. This can be done through the website of the Ministry of Taxes and Duties.

Please attach to your message copies of documents confirming your permanent residence in the territory of a foreign state, for example:

• residence permit in the territory of a foreign state;
• visas of the host state;
• marks in the passport about crossing the state border (entry/exit);
• other documents.

Why do letters from the tax office come with notices from other authorities, for example, from the Philately store, as in Polotsk? Why is this done? Andrey

The question is not for us, but for RUE Belposhta.

Now everyone has begun to receive “letters of happiness” en masse about payment of the fee to finance government expenditures for 2015. You receive a letter and go to prove whether you are a parasite or a respectable worker. And everything would be fine, but what to do in my situation? In January 2015, I found myself unemployed. After the holidays, I started looking for work in earnest... And so... The law came into force in April 2015. In March I was already pregnant. Being not in a “situation”, it turned out to be not so easy to find a job, but with my “stomach”, it was already quite visible from the 3rd month, no one wanted to take me... If I had worked, I would have gone in October on maternity leave, but such a sheet is not issued to the unemployed. Help me understand this situation, is it possible to amend the maternity leave? Or is a pregnant woman equated to a parasite?

In accordance with paragraph 11 of the decree, in order to consider the issue of recognizing you as participating in the financing of public expenditures, you have the right to submit to the tax authority at your place of residence relevant explanations and documents confirming the period of temporary disability during medical supervision in a healthcare organization during pregnancy and childbirth or other cases.

According to the clarifications of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus in accordance with Article 46 of the Law of the Republic of Belarus dated June 18, 1993 No. 2435-XII “On Health Care”, information about the fact that the patient sought medical help and the state of his health, information about the presence of the disease, other information, including about the period of temporary incapacity for work constitute a medical secret. Therefore, information about the period of temporary disability of a citizen can be provided by a health care organization directly to the citizen himself. Such information can be provided to the tax authority only with the written consent of such a citizen.

Taking into account the above, you have the right to personally contact the healthcare organization where you were under medical supervision during pregnancy and childbirth or in other cases, to obtain a document confirming the period of temporary disability.

You also have the right to provide written consent to the tax authority receiving information from a specific healthcare organization about the period of your incapacity for work in 2015. In this case, the tax authority will obtain the specified information independently based on a request with your written consent attached to it.

Please note that written consent can be submitted to the tax authority in person or by mail, since it must contain your personal signature.

Other documents can be submitted to the tax authority in any way convenient for you in person, through an authorized representative, or sent to the tax authority by mail or in the form of an electronic message with attached files through a form on the ministry’s website.

The submitted documents are subject to consideration by the tax authority within a month, and if there are grounds for them, a decision is made to cancel the notice to pay the fee, of which the citizen is notified in writing.

If I refuse to pay the fee, what are the consequences? Will the police take me to public works or how will everything happen? Explain the mechanism. Olga

In case of non-payment of the fee, the penalties established by Part 10 of Article 13.6 “Non-payment or incomplete payment of the amount of tax, fee (duty), customs payment” of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic of Belarus are applied, namely the imposition of a fine in the amount of two to four basic units or administrative arrest. Protocols on administrative liability are drawn up by the tax authorities and, in case of non-payment of the fee, are sent to the court.

She answered questions concerning citizens about the “tax on parasitism.”

Intex-press has collected the most important questions and answers.

About the tax on parasitism

Question: What happens if, having received a notice of tax payment, I simply do not pay it, since I fall into the category of those who are exempt from payment? I don't want to waste time proving my rights.

Answer: It’s better to present the necessary documents to the tax office. Otherwise, the fee will be forcibly collected from you. In addition, for non-payment or incomplete payment of the fee, administrative liability is provided - a fine from two to four basic units or administrative arrest.

Question: I am a full-time graduate of a university. In 2015, I studied for 181 days. How am I different from full-time graduates who studied for 183 days? Why should I pay and they shouldn't? Will I have to pay the tax for the missing days or in full?

Answer: Full-time education is included in the period of participation in the financing of government expenditures. But if this period is less than 183 days, then you are out of luck - you will have to pay the fee in full - 360 rubles. There are no plans to make changes for this category of citizens.

Question: I worked a lot, paid a lot of taxes to the state, now I have a bank deposit. Is the presence of a large bank deposit in Belarusian rubles, on the interest from which a citizen lives, recognized as participation in financing government expenditures?

Answer: No. Having a bank deposit does not exempt you from paying a fee to finance government expenditures.

Question: My health does not allow me to work; my husband supports me. For many years, doctors have not been able to find the cause of my ailments, and I cannot document my incapacity. But upon discharge from the hospital, the doctors recommended that I not work. Is it possible to exempt me from paying tax in this situation?

Answer: If it is impossible to confirm the fact of disability, you will be recognized as the payer of the fee. However, local councils of deputies (or local executive or administrative bodies on their behalf) have the right to exempt certain taxpayers from paying taxes, based on their property status. You can submit a corresponding application to the local executive and administrative body at your place of residence.

Question: Will work under a contract be exempt from parasitism tax?

Answer: Yes, but only if the contract agreements are concluded for an amount of at least 70 basic units (1,470 rubles). If the amount is less, then the citizen will be the payer of a fee to finance government expenses. No changes are expected in this part.

Question: Throughout 2015, I worked at 0.5 rate for an individual entrepreneur. Do I have to pay a fee?

Answer: No. If a citizen works under an employment contract for 183 or more calendar days during the tax period, then he will not be a payer of a fee to finance government spending - regardless of the size of the rate.

About planned innovations in maternity leave

Question: By the end of the year, it is planned to make changes to the decree on the prevention of social dependency. One of the innovations concerns people who find themselves in difficult life situations. What is the essence of the innovation?

Answer: Local Councils of Deputies will be given the right to provide benefits to citizens who are in difficult life situations. This situation refers to objective circumstances beyond the control of the citizen. That is, in addition to the existing benefits relating to property status, there will be benefits that will be provided based on the difficult life situation. For example, at the beginning of the year a person was working and had a constant stable income, then he lost his job due to caring for his sick mother. In this case, the person can contact the local authority and obtain an exemption from paying the fee.

Question: Are there plans to expand the list of persons exempt from paying the fee for parasitism?

Answer: Yes. These will be citizens undergoing alternative service, athletes who are on the roster of the Belarusian national team in one or another sport.

Question: If the categories of citizens who are exempt from paying the fee are expanded, will the money be returned to those who fall into these categories but have already paid the fee?

Answer: If the changes affect the 2015 tax period, the fee will be recalculated and refunded accordingly. If these changes affect 2016 and subsequent periods, there will be no recalculation and the funds will not be returned.

Question: What should I do if I lived with relatives in Russia for more than six months? There is no registration, I did not enter into a rental agreement for residential premises, the employment contract with a Russian company was concluded for three months.

Answer:The Decree does not establish a list of documents confirming the fact of presence or absence on the territory of Belarus for more than 183 calendar days in a calendar year. These may be travel documents with the date of entry and exit from the country, marks in an identity document, a temporary residence permit or registration in another state, and others. In the most extreme cases, a citizen has the right to provide an explanation. It must indicate the address of residence abroad, the period of stay there, full name. and the address of residence of relatives who provided housing. You can also provide other information that may serve as evidence that you are right.

Three burning questions about the tax on parasitism, the answers to which left questions:

Question: Don’t you think that in Belarus there are no people at all who do not participate in the country’s government spending? The price of each product includes VAT, excise taxes and income tax. If a person is still alive, then he buys these goods. This means that he participates in government spending.

Answer: Yes, but working citizens, in addition to this, also pay income tax on wages and other income, as well as contributions to the Social Security Fund.

Question: If I earned money before, paying a huge amount of taxes for 15 years, providing for myself for several years, I want to restore my health, why should I pay anything else, what a parasite I am?

Answer: This does not matter, if you do not participate in the financing of government expenditures in 2015 or participate in such financing for less than 183 days, you will be the payer of the fee.

Question: As far as I know, the Ministry of Taxation should receive information about students from Belarusian educational institutions - both public and private. Then why do students receive notices to pay the fee and why do they themselves have to order and submit certificates to the tax office?

Answer: If citizens who have studied full-time for more than 183 days are included in the tax payer database, it means that the authorities and organizations under whose subordination the educational institutions are located have provided the tax authority with information incompletely or incorrectly.

Officials spoke about how the approach to employment of citizens will change from 2019

Photo: Victor GILITSKY

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Before April 1, the government had to present an updated Decree No. 1, popularly known as the decree on parasitism. Let us remember that about a year ago Alexander Lukashenko suspended Decree No. 3 and ordered it to be finalized. But officials insist: this is not an updated decree, but a completely new document. And it is he, as officials assure, who will help everyone who wants it find a job.

These are those who work under an employment agreement (contract), a civil law contract, individual entrepreneurs, lawyers, notaries, artisans, and those involved in agritourism. Those who are not registered as individual entrepreneurs, but pay a single tax. Also, military personnel, employees of a paramilitary organization with special ranks, those liable for military service during military or special training, as well as those undergoing alternative service are not considered parasites. Also, creative workers whose status is confirmed by a creative union or a professional certificate of a creative worker will not be considered parasites. Clergymen, participants (members) of a monastery, monastic community, as well as students of religious educational institutions will not be considered parasites. This also includes members of national and national sports teams, unemployed people who are registered with employment centers or are undergoing retraining from employment centers.

Those raising a child under 7 years of age, a disabled child under 18 years of age, or three or more minor children were exempted from the “parasite” status.

Also employed in the economy will be those who are engaged in the production of crop products (except for floriculture, ornamental plants, their seeds and seedlings), livestock (except for Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno, Minsk, Mogilev) on a land plot that was provided for subsidiary farming , farming (peasant) farming, etc.

Employed in the economy will be considered athletes-students of specialized educational and sports institutions, children's and youth sports schools (specialized children's and youth schools of the Olympic reserve), who are included in clubs for the type(s) of sport in the form of separate structural divisions.

Who can avoid being included in the list of parasites?

Those who cannot work for objective reasons. These are, for example, citizens with whom employment relations were terminated - during the quarter that follows the quarter when the dismissal took place. But if you lost your job due to a reduction in the number of staff, for health reasons, then the period increases by 6 months from the date of dismissal.

Military personnel, employees (employees) of a paramilitary organization, with special ranks of reservists during classes and training camps, as well as during alternative service, are excluded from the lists for 6 months, starting from the month after the termination of the above-mentioned relations.

If you were a full-time student at a university, then after graduation you will not be included in the list of parasites until the end of the calendar year. The same is true for students of religious educational institutions.

If you rent out housing, rent out a parking space, and pay taxes, then you are also not considered a parasite.

Pensioners will not be included in the lists, including those receiving pensions from other states, as well as those receiving temporary disability benefits.

Citizens who came to our country for permanent residence, foreigners or stateless persons who received a permit for permanent residence in Belarus will not be considered parasites. But only for six months - during this time they will need to find a job.

Who will need to prove their status?

Not everyone will automatically fall off the list. Some will still be brought in. And to prove that you are not a parasite, you will need to come to the commission and confirm your status. Who should come?

Firstly, for those who quit, this must be done within a quarter. Moreover, this also applies to those who were left without work due to staff reductions. Wives and husbands of military personnel and young professionals working abroad will also have to come to the commission and prove their status as “not a parasite.” If you are under medical supervision during pregnancy and childbirth, then you will also need to prove this to the commission.

How do you still pay for utilities?

The new decree on parasitism will come into force in 2019. But he still has questions. For example, the new resolution stipulates that citizens unemployed in the economy will pay 100% for services. But which ones exactly? Officials said it would likely be utilities. Then the question is: if there is one parasite and one working person in a family, how will they be charged a communal apartment, at what tariffs?

The draft legal act defining the list of services (which parasites will pay at 100% of the tariffs - Ed.) is at the final stage of approval. And I think we will discuss this issue after the normative act is adopted,” said First Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection Andrei Lobovich.

What about those who work abroad?

They must confirm their status when contacting the commission. If they confirm that they legally work abroad, then the commission will exclude them from the database, and they will not be included in the list of unemployed in the economy, the official said.

- What if a person studies abroad or travels?– asked a question to the Komsomolskaya Pravda official.

The regulation defines the status of only confirmation of those working abroad. There are no regulations regarding students abroad.

Not quite right. If a person is a student abroad or lives there, he can, in accordance with documents confirming his status, apply to the commission and the commission will consider this individually.

- What if I traveled for 7 months?

We are not talking about a time period. The bases will be formed for the first and second half of the year with quarterly adjustments. Accordingly, based on the results of the quarter, if you fall into the category of employed for at least one day, then, accordingly, you will not be included in the database.

How much will the budget earn from parasites?

The purpose of implementing the decree is not to replenish budget income. The purpose of implementing the decree is contained in its name - to promote employment for the population. Those potential citizens who are included in the database have every right, and the commission will reach them, and local authorities will provide assistance in finding employment. For a person to take advantage of this opportunity, this state help, is his personal position, his personal right. But the state is taking a step forward to provide assistance in employment.

In Belarus there are two unions of writers, there are two unions of journalists. Who exactly will be considered a creative worker? Is it necessary to be a member of a state union?

The regulation states that these are citizens carrying out creative activities as a creative worker, whose status is confirmed by the creative union. At the same time, our citizens include able-bodied citizens of the republic, foreign citizens and stateless persons who have received a permit for permanent residence in the Republic of Belarus or a residence permit in the Republic of Belarus. If they confirm the status of a creative worker, there are no questions, he will be excluded from the database.

How to find out: am I a parasite or not?

Previously, there were letters of happiness that were sent to parasites. How can you now find out whether you will be on the list or not, whether you are facing 100% communal services?

Commissions and local authorities will make decisions themselves; the commission’s regulations do not regulate the procedure for informing and notifying citizens that they will potentially be included in the database of unemployed people in the economy. We delegate this to the commission based on the capabilities that they have. But I want to say that all citizens who are included in the database will be informed that they are there.

Why will there be no mistakes with the new decree?

When Decree No. 3 was in effect, many “chain letters” were sent to those who were not actually parasites.

- Aren’t you afraid that there will also be mistakes with this decree?- asked Komsomolskaya Pravda

When forming the decree, normative legal acts in its development, the approaches that we have laid down will make maximum use of the data from the information resources that exist, and as a result, the database data that we will have, respectively, for processing by commissions, executive committees, initiative must reach every person. That is, it will not happen that someone will be informed, but will not provide assistance or any measures to involve him in employment. That is, the initiative will come from local authorities. And then every citizen has the right to use help and change his status or remain in the status in which he is.

Protests by “parasites” swept through many Belarusian cities. They took place in Brest, Bobruisk and Baranovichi. In Vitebsk, the largest “people's gathering” in the history of the city was organized. Minsk residents also expressed their dissatisfaction: the action in the capital became the largest since the dramatic events of 2010, when citizens protested against the results of the presidential elections.

Now the Belarusian “parasites” are preparing for a “hot March” - the schedule of events throughout the country is scheduled by day; the culmination should be Freedom Day on March 25th.

“No one takes us, ordinary citizens, into account anymore. Here is a fee for “parasitism” - people lose their jobs, and a tax is imposed on them. How does this happen, huh? Should people pay for not having a job? - participants of mass actions are indignant. However, perhaps rallies will no longer be needed: everything indicates that the authorities are ready to suspend the ill-fated Decree No. 3.

Belarusian “parasitism” in numbers

From the moment at the end of last year that tax inspectorates began literally sending out “chain letters” in batches, the state’s demand to pay a “tax on parasitism” became, perhaps, the main topic of conversation among Belarusians. But at the very beginning - back in April 2015, when Alexander Lukashenko signed Decree No. 3 “On the Prevention of Social Dependency” - many assessed the “decree on parasites” with irony. We have not yet received notices to pay taxes.

From November to January, the Belarusian tax department sent out more than 470 thousand notices to recipients about the need to pay a “fee to finance government expenditures.” That is, approximately every 22nd Belarusian received such a “letter of happiness”. But if we take into account in general statistics only able-bodied citizens working officially, excluding small children, schoolchildren, students and pensioners, it turns out that every tenth able-bodied citizen received a “chain letter”. If we take into account those absent - those who went to work in Russia, Poland and other neighboring countries, then in general one in eight. Thus, the “tax on parasites” instantly became a social phenomenon.

According to Decree No. 3 “On the Prevention of Social Dependency,” if a citizen of Belarus does not work 183 days a year and is not registered as unemployed, then he must pay a special fee of 360 Belarusian rubles ($185). On February 20, 2017, the deadline for paying the fee expired.

At the same time, many Belarusians, even if left without work, are not registered as unemployed. The fact is that unemployment benefits in the country are approximately $20, you can receive it only for six months and at the same time you need to go to public works. Besides, there is nothing to do, especially in the provinces, where there are many half-dead enterprises. Their managers do not fire anyone (prohibited so as not to spoil the statistics), and they practically do not pay salaries. People find themselves trapped.

It came as a complete surprise to the authorities that the usually obedient Belarusians simply refused to pay the tax. Despite possible penalties, including imprisonment, only 10% of those notified contributed money. Others began a campaign of civil disobedience.

The authorities also overlooked something else: in 2017, citizens, it turns out, are required to pay a fee for two previous tax periods at once - for 2015 (until February 20, amount - 360 rubles) and for 2016 (until November 15, amount - 420 rubles) . That's a total of $400. But the average monthly salary in Belarus does not reach this figure. And in the provinces, wages are also much lower than in the capital, while getting a job is many times more difficult. This is precisely what explains the resonance in society that the notifications from the tax inspectorate caused. The notifications received, with people completely lacking money, caused a number of suicides. The media reported on several cases, while the circumstances of two have been established for certain: in Osipovichi and Rogachev.

In response to “chain letters,” some Belarusians are poisoning the lives of tax officials and executive committee officials, inundating them with complaints and causing scandals.

• Participants in the unauthorized rally of the Belarusian opposition “March of Angry Belarusians” against Decree No. 3. Minsk
• RIA News

But the largest group consists of citizens who simply do not have money, and these people came out to protest. Even the recent increase in the retirement age did not provoke such a conflict.

No job? Pay

“The problem of so-called parasites has several aspects. The first is moral. There are thousands of people who cannot work due to difficult life situations, tens of thousands of those who do not work due to extremely poor leadership (every year the country loses 70 thousand jobs), notes economist Lev Margolin, deputy chairman of the United Civil Party, on the Europe Insight website . — The second aspect is legal. The Constitution provides for a right to work, not an obligation. Moreover, for many, the words “welfare state” have long lost all meaning. They teach children for their own money, and for money they take medical tests and perform various procedures. In fact, the only people they do not “finance” are officials and security forces, who beat them on occasion. Well, the third aspect is economic. It is unlikely that the money that can be collected from “parasites” (according to the most optimistic estimates is $30-35 million) will cover the costs associated with obtaining these funds. This is remuneration for employees of tax and other government services: police, courts, penitentiary services; tons of paper and ink, etc. and so on. A classic case when the game is not worth the candle. And this does not include the costs of loss of reputation.”

In December 2016, Lukashenko officially admitted the incorrect implementation of the tax measure, and in January he signed Decree No. 1, which amended his original “decree on parasites.” However, instead of eliminating the excesses, the new document had the opposite effect: in particular, mothers raising young children were required to pay the tax. After this, people took to the streets.

However, it is unlikely that the Belarusian authorities were seriously afraid of the protests. At one time, Lukashenko experienced much larger-scale protests.

However, practice has shown that the “tax on parasitism” turned out to be not profitable, but, on the contrary, unprofitable for the treasury. Even if you simply add up all the office expenses, the costs of creating special databases, the working hours of numerous officials and the completely paralyzed tax inspectorates today, it turns out that significantly more funds were spent on the implementation of the “decree on parasites” than was received as a result of its results . Experts interviewed by RT agree: the authorities should not have started anything at all.

By developing Decree No. 3, the state expected to receive additional funds to the budget, assuming that people who are not employed in the “official” economy and are not officially registered as unemployed work in the “shadow” and do not pay taxes. But in practice, it turned out that citizens simply sit idle or work in enterprises with employment 1-2 days a week - there are a lot of them in Belarus.

As a result, the case of each defaulter has to be considered individually, and there are half a million of them. Now health authorities must collect information whether a citizen suspected of “parasitism” suffered from serious illnesses that could prevent him from working.

The result is a kind of chain reaction - massive proceedings against “parasites” paralyze the work of more and more government agencies. And this is happening against the backdrop of an incredible increase in social tension.

How to get it all back

“I am sure that at the very top they already understood perfectly well how much they missed the persecution of the “parasites.” And now the authorities’ main concern is to get out of this situation while saving face,” Belarusian economist Leonid Zlotnikov told RT. - I really don’t understand anything else. When preparing this decree, did no one in the Presidential Administration foresee that it would result in greater costs than the amount of money received? It turns out that there, at the very top, they decided that Belarusians would simply and meekly pay the next fee, and such a large one by Belarusian standards? In this case, the country’s leadership has big problems not with the economy, but with sociology.”

It will not work to shift the blame onto officials according to the principle “the king is good - the boyars are bad,” Zlotnikov believes.

“I think the issue of “pacifying” society will be entrusted to the tax inspectorates and executive committees, which will be incredibly loyal to citizens,” says Leonid Zlotnikov. “That is, they will accept absolutely any explanation from people as to why they didn’t work, why they don’t have money, what their living situation is, and so on. Just to calm the current wave of indignation. And closer to autumn, the effect of the decree will be frozen under a plausible pretext. That is, they won’t cancel it, but they will stop using it and pretend that nothing special happened.”