Belarusian officials take time cutting their salaries
As ERB has fund out, the initiative of the Latvian cabinet is not popular in the Belarusian corridors of power. The head of the Latvian government Ivars Godmanis asked to cut his salary by 15% the other day. Ministers of his cabinet followed his example and started writing such appeals too. The political observer of a Latvian daily “Telegraph” Alexandra Gluhih gave an interview to ERB and expressed an opinion that the action had been caused by the approaching elections.
Alexandra Gluhih: “You know, it is a populist action, they wanted to “be closer to the people” and demanded to be paid the same as ordinary tax-payers. You should not forget that the European Parliament elections are approaching. That is why all politicians have recalled what tax-payers and electors think of them”.
However, the observer of “Telegraph” does not exclude that the tense economic situation could also affect the decision of the Prime Minister and his cabinet. They are probably trying “to ease” the tension in the society. By the way, all state employees got their salaries cut down as a result of the financial crisis.
Belarus has also been affected by the financial crisis. However, Alyaksandr Tsimashenka, press secretary of the Belarusian Prime Minister Syarhei Sidorski, has told ERB that our Prime Minister is not going to follow the example of his Latvian counterpart. At least, he has not been informed about his boss’s plans of the kind.
The head of the press service of the Ministry of Industry Alyaksandr Balyshau asked ERB what the press secretary of the Belarusian Prime Minister had told us about it. Then he confessed that the Minister of Industry Anatol Rusetski and the other officials of the institution would do what they are ordered.
Alyaksandr Balyshau: “We obey them. That is why the information he presented to you concerns all the other ministries”.
The deputy Minister of Economy Andrei Tur confessed that he had never heard about the initiative of the Latvian Prime Minister. That is why he could not tell us anything about his salary or the salary of Minister Mikalai Zaichnaka.
Andrei Tur: “It is the first time I have been told about the Latvian affairs. That is why I cannot tell you anything. It is difficult for me to say what my attitude to the initiative is because I know nothing about it. You are the first person to have said it to me and you want me to answer you something about it right away. Just think about it: you receive some information and you pour it on me immediately. What can I say? Nothing! And what can be said about it at anyway?!”
The deputy Minister of the Standing Commission of credit and monetary policy and bank activities of the House of Representatives Alyaksandr Shauko confessed that he was unaware of the initiative of Latvian officials either. However, he started thinking whether such a step could help overcome the economic crisis in our country.
Alyaksandr Shauko: “To answer this question, one should think about the results of such a step. There is certain information about the development of the economic crisis and I know that the situation in the Baltic States and in Ukraine is very complicated. That is why they are taking extreme measures. This initiative of the government is one of them. I think that Belarus has not reached the limit yet and it is not really correct to pose this question to us”.
Finally, he concluded that Belarusian counterparts of the Latvian Prime Minister and his ministers should take such “extreme measures” only after they assess the results of the development of the Belarusian economy in the first quarter of the year.
Alyaksandr Shauko: “This issue may start being discussed when the economic situation is clear. The current situation is more or less controlled. I think it will be clear after the first quarter. It is difficult to say anything today”.
Alexandra Gluhih: “You know, it is a populist action, they wanted to “be closer to the people” and demanded to be paid the same as ordinary tax-payers. You should not forget that the European Parliament elections are approaching. That is why all politicians have recalled what tax-payers and electors think of them”.
However, the observer of “Telegraph” does not exclude that the tense economic situation could also affect the decision of the Prime Minister and his cabinet. They are probably trying “to ease” the tension in the society. By the way, all state employees got their salaries cut down as a result of the financial crisis.
Belarus has also been affected by the financial crisis. However, Alyaksandr Tsimashenka, press secretary of the Belarusian Prime Minister Syarhei Sidorski, has told ERB that our Prime Minister is not going to follow the example of his Latvian counterpart. At least, he has not been informed about his boss’s plans of the kind.
The head of the press service of the Ministry of Industry Alyaksandr Balyshau asked ERB what the press secretary of the Belarusian Prime Minister had told us about it. Then he confessed that the Minister of Industry Anatol Rusetski and the other officials of the institution would do what they are ordered.
Alyaksandr Balyshau: “We obey them. That is why the information he presented to you concerns all the other ministries”.
The deputy Minister of Economy Andrei Tur confessed that he had never heard about the initiative of the Latvian Prime Minister. That is why he could not tell us anything about his salary or the salary of Minister Mikalai Zaichnaka.
Andrei Tur: “It is the first time I have been told about the Latvian affairs. That is why I cannot tell you anything. It is difficult for me to say what my attitude to the initiative is because I know nothing about it. You are the first person to have said it to me and you want me to answer you something about it right away. Just think about it: you receive some information and you pour it on me immediately. What can I say? Nothing! And what can be said about it at anyway?!”
The deputy Minister of the Standing Commission of credit and monetary policy and bank activities of the House of Representatives Alyaksandr Shauko confessed that he was unaware of the initiative of Latvian officials either. However, he started thinking whether such a step could help overcome the economic crisis in our country.
Alyaksandr Shauko: “To answer this question, one should think about the results of such a step. There is certain information about the development of the economic crisis and I know that the situation in the Baltic States and in Ukraine is very complicated. That is why they are taking extreme measures. This initiative of the government is one of them. I think that Belarus has not reached the limit yet and it is not really correct to pose this question to us”.
Finally, he concluded that Belarusian counterparts of the Latvian Prime Minister and his ministers should take such “extreme measures” only after they assess the results of the development of the Belarusian economy in the first quarter of the year.
Alyaksandr Shauko: “This issue may start being discussed when the economic situation is clear. The current situation is more or less controlled. I think it will be clear after the first quarter. It is difficult to say anything today”.
