Protesters in Minsk burned the letters on the payment of tax deadbeats
MINSK, February 17 — RIA Novosti. The participants of unsanctioned by the city authorities “March of the angry Belarusians”, organized by the representatives of the opposition, burned the building of the Ministry for taxes and levies of Belarus the notification on payment of the tax “deadbeats”, the correspondent of RIA Novosti.
Earlier, the protesters gathered on October square in Central Minsk, adopted a resolution which contained, in particular, the requirement to cancel the decree on “parasites” and calling on the authorities to begin negotiations. If prior to March 17, not steps will be taken for implementation as set out in resolution requirements, the protesters, according to the document, reserves the right to further collective actions.
Protesters marched with placards against the so-called decree on “parasites” and the banner “Basta!” to the building of the Ministry of taxes and duties, located near Independence square and government House. At peak times the number of marchers reached, according to various estimates, up to 2-2,5 thousand people. In front of the Ministry, one of the organizers of the opposition politician Mikalai Statkevich urged the audience to “break and throw to the wind “letters of happiness” from the tax” if they took notice to pay the filing fee with you. In the end, brought by the organizers of the ballot box had been burned about a dozen sheets.
Several thousand people coming to the government building! pic.twitter.com/C48LwTeuvZ
— Roman Protasevich (@pr0tez) 17 Feb 2017.
Statkevich expressed his satisfaction with the number of participants, called “today, nothing else to do”, and to meet again in late March. “We showed our determination, the will, the desire to be free men and masters of the country. If they (the authorities — ed.) is not understood, we show it in actions,” he said, announcing the action completed.
Several times the audience chanted “Belarus Lives” and applauded. The action was observed by the police, including in plain clothes, without hindering the holding. It passed without any incidents and arrests.
In April 2015, the President of Belarus signed the decree on “parasites”, according to which unemployed and not paying taxes more than half of the working residents of the country must annually pay a fee in the amount of 20 basic units (more than $ 200).
Non-payment or incomplete payment of the fee is punishable by fine or administrative arrest with obligatory community service. The deadline for payment of this tax expires on 20 February. According to the Ministry of taxes and levies, yet only about 10% of Belarusians, which sent notification of payment “tax on profits”, paid the fee. Just a notice for payment of tax received more than 470 thousand citizens of Belarus.