Programmers also receive Br 500 thousand of "potato money"

“I was really surprised when I saw extra 500 thousand on my bank card", — an employee of one of Minsk IT-companies Dzmitry says to Euroradio. The youngster was absolutely convinced that he worked for the private company... Therefore, he thought that the company was considered a bit state due to its membership in the Park of High Technologies.

We decided to check on that and there was no mistake. "Potato money" was paid not only to budget employees.

“To recommend directors of the organizations the employees of which are not covered with this Decree to pay a single material aid to employees basing on financial capacity of organizations”, — stated in the Decree No. "On single material aid".

Euroradio has found out that the company IBA also paid Br 500 thousand to all employees. The chief accountant of the organization thinks that extra money will not harm anyone these days.

IBA: “We were explained that if a company had money it could pay a single material aid to employees from the incomes. It's not just us who did that, many companies who have money paid to their employees. Moreover, if we take into consideration the condition in the country...You see how unclear everything is: dollar grows, food and other goods get more and more expensive...Why not, we can pay to our employees, we have such an opportunity…”

Dzmitry says that although programmers cannot be considered a poor category of population, it was still was pleasant… 

Dzmitry: “I sort of put up with the fact that no one was going to pay me that 500 thousand. Therefore, it was unexpectedly pleasant for me. I was running out of Belarusian roubles by then... And for this money I bought a new toilet bowl to the apartment that I rent now”.

Euroradio: Don't you think that programmers do not belong to that category of population which needs aid to buy potatoes?

Dzmitry: “The question is, where they took this money from. If they took it from the budget, than it is not correct, in my opinion. Because I could have exchanged some 100 dollars and buy a toilet bowl for it. However, if this is connected with our company's initiative, than why not?”

Some time later Dzmitry called to Euroradio and said that he refused from his last comment as he found out that the Br 500 thousand paid due to the company's initiative would be extracted from the next salary!

Dzmitry: “I don't know whether they are going to extract the whole sum but the salary will be less anyway”.

Representatives of the accounting department explained that the aid had been paid from the salary fund, therefore, the salary will be less next month…