“Liberalisation” plans drawn up by officials who “strangled” business

The Belarusian authorities have drawn up another “plan” of economy’s liberalization. Experts are sceptical about it.

It has been drafted by the government together with the Presidential Administration and includes 52 activities which are recognized as activities of high priority. But the document itself hasn’t been published however. Only its retelling is known. The exact terms of the measures stipulated by it are unknown too. It is only said that they would be realize within 2009. However, it seems strange for experts that the same officials who earlier promoted anti-market measures, are actively speaking about liberalisation, “Belorusskiye novosti” writes.

According to the official wording, the liberalisation plan is aimed at economic activities energizing, enterprise development and increase of investment appeal of Belarus.

It should be noted that the document under a resembling name appeared last year. In March 2008 the government and the National Bank adopted “The plan of actions for the year 2008 for improving conditions for investment activities and business sphere”. Improvements were planned in a number of spheres including “creation of a favourable business environment”, “investment policy”, “financial market development”, “pricing policy”, “innovative policy”, “public assets management”, “budget and taxes policy” and a number of others. But is cannot be said that since then the business could start to breeze freely. Moreover, many planned activities remained on paper only.

The honorary chairman of the Belarusian Union of Businessmen Alyaksandr Patupa believes that before undertaking large-scale reforms, the authorities should explain themselves for their anti-market and anti-businessmen policies of the last 12 years.

“Before previous steps are not given estimation, any novelties look doubtful,” Alyaksandr Patupa said to “Belorusskiye novosti”. “So far these are partial gestures”. The expert drew attention to the fact that when government does something for the business, it would be nice to discuss that with the business community and independent experts. However, that hasn’t been done.

To his mind, not work of PR organisations, but work of a special group (commission, council) on economic reforms and investment security should be boosted at the moment. “When serious steps for liberalisation, which demonstrate primarily the irreversible nature of the process, a strong analytical basis and openness to the civil society, would be done, a natural flow of positive PR would start without any high-paid lords and useless gatherings in London,” Alyaksandr Patupa said.

As we have informed, the government and the Presidential administration included into the top priority measures on liberalisation declarative principle of business entities foundation; lifting administrative barriers; streamlining the procedure of certification, approval by sanitary, fire inspections; elaborating the system of taxation, customs clearance and controlling activities, property and land relations; development of financial market, investment activities, price and anti-monopoly control; development of self-employment of the population, labour market encouragement; managing money-and-credit relations in bank sphere.