The Dark Side of the Decree on "Spongers"

The authorities lost courage and adopted a skillful subterfuge.

The draft ofupdated Decree No. 3 is under consideration in the Lukashenka Administration. The authorities "combed" its name, removed the word "sponging" from there and added "employment promotion". The Minister of Labor informs that the tax is substituted for "reimbursement of the state's social costs".

What does this muddy formula "social costs" mean? And what version of the decree will be more damaging to the unemployed and candidates for the list of them? Former entrepreneur and public activist from Homel Barys Anikyeyeu answers questions of Charter97.org.

- Many people treat "new old" Decree No. 3 like that: the unemployed will not be allowed to polyclinics, hospitals, casualty wards...

Now people discuss the matter. Many people say that they will come to polyclinics and require doctors to perform their duties. Let them prove that I depend on this state! Most of those recorded as "spongers" support themselves without turning to the state aid. So why are they considered spongers? True parasites live at the expense of the state and they are well-known.

"New" edition of Decree No. 3, as they say, - is the same egg, only "hard-boiled". Permuting the summands of a sum does not change the value of the sum. The same happens to the decree. Nothing has changed. As a result, the decree now has its even its darker side. The situation for the unemployed, and for all Belarusians, has changed only for the worse.

The "old" version only obliged to pay the tax. And the "new" edition tries to rob the unemployed at every step, in all spheres. After all, "social" spending is not just medicine.

Let's take utilities, for example. Rent bills will sharply increase even if there is one person unemployed in a family. I guess there are 40-50% families who have to beachcomb. And this, again, requires a new database, identification, and other things that causes wasting a large amount of money of taxpayers. So Decree No. 3 will hit all Belarusians, not only by "spongers".

- Will this decree work? How do you see its "execution"?

- It's hard to say... One needs to have the same mess in the head as our government has. What do they think about it?

It turns out that the majority will have to bring documents and certificates before going to a polyclinic. If once I suffer acute appendicitis, will doctors refuse to operate me? It's nonsense!

Someone will grow fussy, build next palaces and elite polyclinics, and common people will have to die near the doors of a hospital. Will the state allocate a piece of land for "spongers" on a public cemetery? Or what?

- The experience of the "first" decree showed that the money taken from "spongers" was not enough even to compensate for costs of their raising. Why do the authorities take the resuscitation procedure of the decree?

- There is only one explanation: they hate people. Everything's done to spite people.

Local "councils" are annoyed even at the sight of peaceful delegations of pensioners who bring their petitions. The unfortunate old people are intimidated, so they could not complain and problems could not leak.

The authorities want a beautiful lie to look like the truth. And if you come further, you will see the nest of vipers. And bureaucrats feel comfortable in their chairs and do nothing. They have forgotten their elementary functions and treat with contempt everyone who disturb their repose.

It would be better for them come to an unemployed and provide assistance. They'd better create good jobs. If you're in charge, then perform your functions.

But they are not able to make the economy revive, attract investors, give jobs. They are looking for "scapegoats". To blame someone for no desire to work. To create an image of a malicious "sponger". And this person in Drazdy shouts out behind the fence: "Woof, woof, woof! To make everyone work!

Is this slavery? Is this a minimum security prison as big as the country? Patience is about to end.

- What should be done to defend our rights?

- I always say that it's high time to ring the alarm. The farther into the forest, the thicker the trees. The authorities lost courage and adopted a skillful subterfuge. They pretended that they had "untightened screws", they say, we will not collect tax for "parasitism".

And still people calmed down for a while, another more "draconian" decree was prepared. And it is not only about the decree. Prices and tariffs has been quietly raised. Today I have paid for the electricity. I paid 320 rubles last month, and this month it equals to 420 rubles. And the "sponger" tariff has not been adopted yet!

How long can our people ignore it? There are "civil rights activists", independent Trade Unions, opposition politicians in the country. Guys, just stop practicing weird "gatherings"! As they say, "talk is cheap". Abandon all personal and minor matters. Just be with the people. It's time to ring the alarm, unite and mobilize people. Or will we wait unless it is hot?