It Was Reported Who Would Be Considered 'Parasites'

For what services will the unemployed pay in full?

In pursuance of Lukashenka's decree # 3, the Council of Ministers approved the provision on the procedure for classifying able-bodied citizens as unemployed in the economy, forming and maintaining a database of able-bodied citizens not employed in the economy, including interaction of state bodies and organizations for this purpose. The corresponding decision is fixed by the governmental ordinance dated March 31, 2018 # 239.

In particular, according to the ordinance, able-bodied citizens who are not employed in the economy include able-bodied citizens of Belarus, foreign citizens and persons with no citizenship (who have received a permanent residence permit), who do not perform labor, entrepreneurial, craft, creative, educational or other activities which are listed in the resolution.

At the same time, out of the number of able-bodied citizens not employed in the economy, citizens are excluded whose employment is difficult or impossible for objective reasons.

For example, disabled people, mothers raising a child under the age of 7, a disabled child under the age of 18, three or more underage children, pensioners registered as unemployed, and persons who lost their jobs under justified reasons (within six months from the date of dismissal), serving sentences or being under compulsory treatment, other categories of citizens.

The Ministry of Taxes and Duties was entrusted to ensure the transfer of property rights to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection for software related to the collection and transfer of information from government agencies and other organizations on the participation of citizens in financing public expenditures.

The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, in cooperation with the National Center for Electronic Services, until November 30, 2018, must provide access to the local executive and regulatory authorities to the database through a state-wide automated information system.

Local executive and regulatory bodies have been instructed to conduct the necessary organizational and technical measures to gain access to the database through a state-wide automated information system until November 30, 2018.

The Ordinance of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated October 28, 2015, # 904 "On Approving the Regulation on the Interaction of State Bodies and Organizations with a view to Implementing the Decree of Lukashenka of the Republic of Belarus of April 2, 2015, # 3" was declared invalid.

The main points of the adopted ordinance come into force after the official publication of the document.

Important to note, on January 25, Aliaksandr Lukashenka signed Decree # 1, which provides for measures to promote employment of the population. The new decree did not include norms on levying able-bodied non-working population to finance public expenditure. In this case, persons previously recognized as payers of this fee are freed from payment.

However, the document did not specify which Belarusians the document will apply to, as well as the list of services for the consumption of which it will be paid at an economically reasonable tariff, under the decree. The government was instructed to identify this by April 1.

It was predicted that Belarusians, who are subject to Decree # 1, will pay for the housing and communal services at an economically reasonable tariff. At the same time, there is no question of reimbursement of expenses for medical assistance, the Minister of Health Valer Malashka stated earlier.

Now in Belarus, the population reimburses about 80% of the cost of consumed electricity, 20% - for heat. According to the forecasts of Vice-Premier Anatol Kalinin, Belarusians will not pay for heating at the full rate until 2025.

In February, the government defined the territories with a tense situation in the labor market, the list included 48 districts and cities. This was provided for by Decree # 1. Navapolatsk turned out to be the most problematic town in terms of employment, as well as the Louyeu district.

The Ministry of Labor, talking about Decree # 1, explained that the government will annually determine the territories with a tense situation in the labor market. Additional funds from the state budget will be allocated for the program on employment in these regions.

According to the Ministry of Labor forecasts, about 250 thousand Belarusians can fall under the Decree #1.