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Personal Data of "Spongers" to Be Available to Everyone

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Personal Data of "Spongers" to Be Available to Everyone

Dilettantes have to perform an overwhelming task.

On April 6 Deputy Minister of Labour Andrei Labovich voiced the government's plan for the search of "spongers" under Decree No. 1.

Regional commissions are entitled to make decisions on who is considered a sponger. Their verdict is final, with not right to appeal.

Until April 10 it was supposed that the uneployed would pay for housing and communal services in full, but yeasterday Lukashenka added medical services to the list, while speaking in front of stat-owned media.

What does this mean in practice? Former Minister of Labor Aliaksandr Sasnou answers questions of Charter97.org.

- You know, it is even awkward to discuss details of the decree to the people with common sense. Because both the decree and its idea are from the area of psychiatry. I would offer a highly specialized specialist to discuss details of Decree No. 1. You know who I mean.

I think the person who studies thought disorder will be interested in how a full payment for housing and communal services, and especially for medical services, will be collected. Because I see no conformities with a law here. Don't worry, our authorities will come up with a cheme how to collect money from the unemployed. And they will surely find a ground for it.

- Without going into details, what is the main difference between "anti-sponger" Decree No. 1 and the previous one?

- It involves almost unlimited authorities of commissions at places, they will decide who is a "sponger". And it concerns not commissions, but the decision which cannot be appealed.

- How could you comment on it?

- It's a complete idiocy in realities of the 21 century. It's an out-of-court persecution, as it used to be in 1937. I know that Belarus has only fake judicial system, it's a blank content. But these commissions are mockery of principles of jurisdiction. It is like Stalin's "troika" made decisions on "enemies of the people". But the number of our "troika" is a bit larger. How many "deputies" are in the commission? About ten? It turns out "Lukashenka's ten".

If Decree No. 3 somehow tried to "substantiate" itself referring to non-payment of taxes and formal laws, now the author doesn't hesitate. Yesterday Lukashenka stated that he just wanted to make everyone work. He does not cares of the Constitution, which rejects any coercion to work.

But the chief official has suddenly come up with the No.1 problem - "parasitism". And he even said the same problem existed in Russia. Good job! Why didn't he mention the USA? No way, he should refer to Russia, as lagging behind as Belarus.

- Lukashenka also stressed that Decree No. 1 was his personal idea...

- He cheats, as usual. He adopted the idea. It's his typical character: someone says something stupid and Lukashenka immediately adopts it. I doubt he can invent something on his own. Myasnikovich is the true author of this "idea".

- You have mentioned exceptional powers of regional commissions. The very Myasnikovich required "individual attention" and thorough study of every person. Does it mean an unlimited access to data?

- Yes, it does. And this data can be misused. Such a huge amount of data collection and storage is entrusted to amateurs, and even, as they say, on a free basis.

How can random people keep this data in secret? It can cause careless use of it. Someone disclosed information on a friendly basis. And someone decided to take advantage of it. In theory, personal data of "spongers" can be available to everyone.

It's even worse that it was in 1937. Personal data can't be a secret, if amateurs deal with it on a voluntary basis. What do you expect then from such a state and a leadership? I have already said that specialists from the Novinki mental health clinic are needed here. Maybe they could explain what is going on in the country.

- But the decree also affects those who work abroad. About 1 million Belarusians have to work abroad. What are possible repercussions beyond the new campaign?

- They just need to legalize their activity in the country they work. And to become tax residents of these countries. And if they are captured upon arrival in Belarus, they will have documents which let them not to be considered "spongers".

- But then Belarus loses both a million labor force and a million taxpayers. What is the sense of the decree then?

- Official stupidity knows no boundaries and it's unpredictable. Yes, Belarus only loses from the decree. This is true. I guess that the "sponger" issue is invented only to fuel information hype around the bureaucratic thing. And they work up a sweat. So they are haunting "spongers", who turn to be not spongers at all. They play rough activity. Starting from the main official.

In practice it looks like digging a tunnel: dug out in the morning and dug in in the evening. And it happens every day.

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