Resolution of the Council of Ministers Nr 881 has named additional groups of people that will not be included in the so-called ‘parasites’ database:
- owners (founders, participants) of commercial organizations’ property (except joint-stock companies);
- wives and husbands of young workers (employees), who got job placement or are sent to a place where it is difficult to find a job;
- citizens who are under medical observation due to chronic or long-term mental disorders (excluding those addicted to alcohol, drugs or toxic substances);
- wives, husbands of diplomats who are abroad;
- persons approaching retirement age, etc.
The database was put into operation in early December. It included information on about 500,000 people, Social Minister Iryna Kastsevich said. Thus, every tenth economically active Belarusian will find themselves in the base. Interestingly, according to official data, the number of unemployed Belarusians is about 14,600.
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Decree Nr 3 signed by Alyaksandr Lukashenka in April, 2015 established the obligation of the citizens of Belarus, foreign citizens permanently residing in Belarus, stateless persons, who did not participate in the financing of public spending or participated in such financing less than 183 days (six months – ed.) in the past year, to pay a fee of 20 basic units (appr. $230).
The notorious decree caused a massive public outcry. In the spring of 2017, it triggered a wave of protests across the country. As a result, the implementation of the infamous ‘parasite’ law was put on the back burner.
- Legal mayhem in Belarus: Activists, journalists fined, jailed after protests against tax on idlers
- ‘Red tape men are main idlers’: Belarusians protesting infamous ‘parasite’ law in Brest
- Belarusians outraged by tax on ‘idlers’: Proof provided by Belsat TV to go to Lukashenka
In January 2018, Lukashenka signed Decree No. 1, which provides for measures to promote employment of the population. The new decree did not include norms on taxing non-working population. Persons who were previously recognized as payers of this fee were exempted from it.
In April, the government decided on the people subject to Decree No. 1. There is now a list of services to be paid in full by ‘parasites’. As reported earlier, the Labour Ministry was tasked with creating a database of ‘idlers’ by December 1, 2018. It will be updated on a quarterly basis.
A month ago, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection said that Belarusians who receive education or work abroad will not be included in the list of the so-called social parasites, but only on condition that they can officially confirm that they found a job or study. All necessary documents need to be translated into Russian or Belarusian. Then these documents are to be submitted to the commission promoting employment of the population at the citizen’s registration place.
