More than 500 sole entrepreneurs demonstrate on central square in Mahilyow

More than 500 market vendors holding sole entrepreneur status demonstrated on Mahilyow’s Lenin Square in front of the regional executive committee on January 10, demanding the abolition of the requirement that sole entrepreneurs should not employ workers other than three family members.

Under new regulations, if they want to have more employees, they have to re-register their businesses into “private unitary enterprises,” which would automatically double the amount of taxes they have to pay.

“We want to hear a government official say to us how we should now feed our families,” the Belarus Service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty quoted demonstrators as saying.

A police lieutenant colonel who refused to tell his name warned that it was illegal to stay on the square and threatened those present with arrests and fines. However, the crowd did not disperse until its delegation was received at the Mahilyow Regional Executive Committee. The chairman of the Committee, Barys Batura, was said to stay out of the region and the delegation met with Viktar Krasowski, head of the enterprise office of the economic department.

According to Uladzimir Tsurpanaw, who led the delegation, the official promised that proposals for improving the position of sole entrepreneurs would be sent to the Presidential Administration.

“We should urgently from strike committee at each market in the city and urge and encourage people to fight openly and decisively for their rights,” he said.

Sole entrepreneurs held spontaneous protest rallies on Lenin Square on January 4 and 5.