How can entrepreneurs get to meeting with Lukashenka?
The head of state decides to meet entrepreneurs on 'their' territory once again ten years after the first meeting.
"Last time we talked about simplifying the tax regime, a fixed payment - this was done. Now we are talking about cancelling this approach. This is what the new discussions are about," Chairman of the Belarusian Union of Entrepreneurs Alyaksandr Kalinin told Euroradio.
Kalinin was not present at the meeting in 2005. Nevertheless, he argued that all the agreements from that meeting were fulfilled. The Chairman of Union of Entrepreneurs was invited to this meeting and he will even be given a word. "I will speak. The topic of the meeting is working conditions of individual entrepreneurs," Kalinin said briefly about tomorrow's meeting and refused to comment further.
As for the other participants of the meeting, the Chairman of the Union of Entrepreneurs was surprised by the question: "I do not make up lists!" But he added that there will be representatives of various trade centers and markets.
The leader of the second business organizations, social organizations Perspektyva, Anatol Shumchanka was not invited to the meeting at Expobel. He was not present at the meeting in 2005, because he was in Volodarka prison. He was punished for organization and participation in the protest campaigns of entrepreneurs. The protests were the reasons that led the head of the country to the market. Shumchanka has a different view of the president's meeting with entrepreneurs a decade ago.
Anatol Shumchanka: "They spoke about distribution centers, about special charters for entrepreneurs flying to Turkey and China. Perspektyva made a special project of the Vitsebsk airport, wherever we would carry goods. We could sell goods in Russia and within the country. We submited the draft to the government, it is still there. And look what we came to in the past 10 years: we have developed neither production nor services."
It was Katsiaryna Chyzhyk who told Lukashenka about charters to Turkey, endless checks by tax services and simplifying customs clearance procedures. At the time, the businesswoman had 6 shops selling Turkish linens. After 10 years, there is none. She still sells goods, but now in Russia - she is now the official representative of the shoe factory Lida and Hrodna factory Aktsent. The day before the new meeting of entrepreneurs with Lukashenka, her mobile phone number is unavailable - apparently, she is somewhere in Russia.
There was another woman entrepreneur, who in 2005 asked the Head of State sharp questions - Maya Sinaiskaya. But she, according to Anatol Shumchanka, left business for the civil service and wouldn't talk.
Euroradio found entrepreneurs who have something to say to the head of state. For example, an entrepreneur from Homiel Natallia. But ...
Natallia: "I spoke to the chief of the oblast executive committee entrepreneurship department, and she promised to send me the application form to participate in this event."
But there will be no Homiel entrepreneurs at the meeting with Lukashenka. The reason allegedly is in the limited format of the meeting: the room is small and does not fit everyone. Even the heads of the oblasts who were at first invited to the meeting will not be there. Natallia was told this "secret" information at the executive committee.
Who will be there then? It is unknown say officials in the press service of the presidential administration. No list of members is available yet.
Incidentally, Euroradio correspondent is denied accreditation to the event on the same basis that the room is small etc.
Photo: Zmitser Lukashuk
