The decree on preventing social dependency will have been corrected by the end of the year, according to a decision made at a meeting held by President Alexander Lukashenko. The document has been tested in practice for more than a year and now requires a well thought-out adjustment, the President pointed out. The decree is aimed at eliminating the complicated problem of social dependency. The “freeloading tax” stimulates legal labour, prevents vagrancy and social orphanhood. However, the mechanism’s disadvantages are administration difficulties and the inclusion of those who should not have to pay the tax in the list.
The meeting adopted some innovations to be introduced in the existing decree. This applies to difficult life situations and granting local authorities the right to make decisions on exempting citizens from paying the charge on corresponding grounds. The formation of accurate and comprehensive data bases of tax payers is taking place for the first time with some difficulties observed so far, therefore this activity has been decided to be extended. As a result, notifications will have been sent out by 20 January to be paid or contested until 20 February.












