‘There Has Never Been Such Situation For Business’

The entrepreneur spoke harshly about large-scale tax changes.

In 2024, the Tax Code will be changed significantly in Belarus. Among the most notable innovations is the “wealth” tax, as well as the obligation of individuals to report accounts in foreign banks. They are going to oblige mobile operators to "leak" even more information to officials.

One of the veterans of the entrepreneurial movement was asked by bgmedia.site on condition of anonymity about what the business thinks about the changes to the Tax Code:

“Perhaps some changes in taxes (the same progressive scale, for example) would be appropriate and correct if the overall economic situation in Belarus was not so deplorable and unpredictable today. I have been in business for more than 30 years and I will say frankly: we have never had such a difficult situation, even in the 90s.

Today no company in the country thinks more than six months in the future. Everyone lives on the principle of "to hold on one day and don’t give up till the morning." What comfortable conditions for doing business can we talk about? For whom? We have the so-called "state business", which the authorities support at the expense of people's money, it goes bankrupt, it is supported again. And it doesn't matter what the tax rate will be. Even if 150% is still not their money.

At the same time, there is a private business that sees perfectly well what is really going on in the country and survives as best it can. Now it has enough problems. These include shrinking markets, sanctions, problems with logistics, and expensive bank loans. It is simply unreasonable from the point of view of the state to demand anything from it in such a situation. But officials seem to have their own logic.