Tax on “social parasites” to be imposed in Belarus

Unemployed Belarusians will have to pay $250 a year or face administrative sanctions.

A draft decree on promoting employment proposes to impose a one-time duty on able-bodied people who do not take part in the financing of public expenditures, BelTA reports.

The document was discussed at a meeting with Lukashenka on January 13. “The president gave instructions to improve the draft decree. The head of state wants the document to be exhaustive and comprehensive without any reference rules,” head of Lukashenka's Administration Valery Mitskevich told journalists.

The draft document suggests imposing an annual tax of 20 base amounts on employable citizens who have not paid taxes and thus have not taken part in the financing of public spending for more than six months. Tax evasion or failure to pay the tax on time or in full is punished with administrative sanctions. Certain categories of people, for example people with disabilities or people raising children, will be exempt from the tax.

The tax does not legalise, for example, illegal business activity, when a person works but does not pay taxes. Such persons will be punished in accordance with the law.

Lukashenka also proposed to raise minimum work record for getting pensions to 20 years.