Rent Bills May Reach 200%

The Belarusian utilities and communal service is (UCS) one of the muddiest matters in the universe.

The majority of Belarusians pay for rent bills every month, and scandalous stories in the UCS sector occurs almost every day.

When the spring came, pieces of plaster began to fall from a Vitsebsk building together with snow. In Hrodna the authorities heat an abandoned house instead of residential houses. At that, heating and major overhaul are one of the most expensive lines in rent bills.

Charter97.org discussed the situation with rent bills with Hrodna public activist and one of the regional BNC representatives Siarhei Verameyenka:

- The major overhaul might be the most questionable line, because it acquires constant deductions. And it's not known what they are spent on.

The Belarusian UCS is one of the muddiest matters in the universe. As well as eternal mantras about 100% repayment for services, which can reach 200% in monetary terms.

That's why we observe "fluctuations". There is a "box" near Drazdy in Minsk, which collects it. And only few people know how money is distributed.

The Belarusian UCS is one of branches of a large mutant tree, which rooted years 23 years ago.

- Readers from Barysau say rent bills increased twofold. Can we check what we pay for?

- No. The same happens to ballot boxes. There cannot be "little rubbish" in the house. Either it is clean or dirty. The system is either transparent or we pay twofold, threefold. Inadequate quality of communal and utility services can be considered as a special "Drazdy" tax on irremovability of the authorities.

- How to fight it?

- There is a word - activism. There is no other recipe but to fight for our rights. If a person does not allow to be exploited, sooner or later he gets things he fought for. And if it is a group of people or a large part of people, then everything can become transparent.

It's no use to wait for a miracle to happen or a thunder to strike, and the authorities will act differently. There always be warn in houses of VIP officials, their vehicles will always drive along perfect asphalt to their comfortable mansions. They live on a different planet. To think that these "aliens" will understand us is naive.

- Even if a piece of plaster falls on Lukashenka's head?

- A piece of plaster will not make a difference. Nothing can be modernized in a separate region. Utilities and communal services cannot flourish alone. It resembles a Soviet joke about a sanitary engineer - the entire system must be replaced.

It's better for plaster to fall on the ground and not on someone's head to show that it's time to stop tolerating. As soon as our tolerance runs dry, we will live a comfortable life. And those on top will have to calm down.