No regulation for satellite antennas?
There are rumors that the document to regulate the installment of satellite antennas has been postponed for September. However, all the government agencies associated with the matter tell the European Radio for Belarus that they are drafting no regulation. Horizon (Belarus’s largest TV maker) said recently that it would take care of all the formalities with the permit if you bought its satellite antenna. Now that the regulation has been postponed, Horizon remains silent on the previous promises. Viktar Laschankow, the chief of the technical department at the Horizon Trade Center, says they keep installing dishes just like before.
“We install antennas just like other dealers. We are not seeking any approval. We are not waiting for this regulation to come out. When it comes out, we will work according to the rules. Presently, we do not mount antennas on the major streets, only on peripheries,” he told the European Radio for Belarus.
ERB has failed to find anyone who would be drafting this regulation at the Architecture Committee at the Minsk City Hall, either.
“We have not received this order from the city authorities,” said a committee representative over the phone.
The Minsk City Hall referred us to the Ministry of Architecture on the grounds that antennas were allegedly their business. However, the ministry denies any involvement.
“The Ministry of Architecture has nothing to do with satellite dishes. Let people mount their dishes. We don’t mind. I have a dish, too. Why would we need to deal with this? We deal with architects, designers and constructors. We would feel somewhat embarrassed to deal with the installment of dishes. But as the citizens who live in Minsk, we will definitely have to remove them (if this regulation comes out),” a ministry spokesman said.
It is still unclear whether this secret document is to come out. Private dealers say that many of their customers have delayed buying antennas, waiting since March for a new regulation. Now that they get bored, they have decided to install antennas without any formal approval.
The “dish hunt” took off in the city of Lida. But even there the local authorities have produced no document to regulate the process. Antennas keep hanging on houses, while officials remain silent to the questions about the regulation.
Photo: www.techhome.ru
