Former Minister of Labour: Ignore "Parasite" Commissions

How to avoid the "parasite database".

On the initiative of the Ministry of Labour, since September 1 Belarus has created the "parasite database", which makes it possible for the authorities to reveal Belarusians not involved in the economy.

Using a special program employers are subject to quarterly report on employees working in an organization. It is required to provide with names of employees, their passport and residence data. All public services of Belarus can have an access to it. People not enlisted will be automatically considered as not involved in the economy.

What can this "parasite database" cause? Former Minister of Labour Aliaksandr Sasnou answers questions of Charter97.org.

- By and large, the major part of this base has earlier existed. This data was was available in the police. Apparently, the authorities think that it's not enough.

After all, data of Internal Affairs aim at the search of criminals and people with criminal history.

The unemployed were not in that database. When the Soviet Union collapsed this article was abolished and the Constitution ensured the right not to work. Now this right is tried to be revoked somehow; it is made by a general act, not by amendments to the basic law.

A "parasite" poses a greater threat for the authorities than a repeated repeated offender. That's the reason for an attempt to unify the database.

But this attempt will be failing. Those who want can avoif this control.

- How is it possible?

- It's very simple. For example, not to work in Belarus, more and more people do like that. The only variant to be enlisted in the database is to be stopped by a persistent public servant.

On the other hand, even in this case a person can ignore these questions; it will take much time for a bureaucratic machine to learn about you.

I'm afraid the authorities still do not know well what to do with this database and how to implement Decree No.1. Everything will be as usual: once they pledged, and want to hedge.

I guess there was an idyllic picture in minds of those who invented this database: all people work at enterprises all day long, and if someone is seen idle, he is checked for "parasitism".

This time this stupid idea may fail. It may only cause inadequate attempts to pry into a personal life. This is what the authorities have been persistently practicing.

- The revival of the decree on "parasites" allegedly shows its importance for the economy. They even call the unemployed "the uninvolved in the economy". Does this database have something in common with tasks for economic development?

- No. I guess the only veiled objective is to make people working abroad pay. Other things are the work of the devil.

Talks about "the uninvolved in the economy" aim to hide the failure of populist motto "$500 salary". This is a small vengeance on those who dared seeking and found a decent work abroad.

As for the economy, Lukashenka is well past his sell-by date. Twenty four years ago he should have created an institutional environment to develop the economy, to ease conditions for business involvement. He should not have stiffened businessmen and patronised criminal structures. And now he has to look for pennies in citizens' pockets.

- How will the database be seeded, if we mean people working abroad? To request data of foreign companies?

- It's possible. But they will hardly get a reply. Foreign companies have many other significant things to do otherwise than provide doubtful commissions of Belarus with information about their employees.

Having failed with it, they will start using standard methods which comply with their intellectual level. As I already said, to stop people on the streets and make a "parasitism" test.

Earlier, under serfdom, it was asked: "Who is your master?" You had to either call the name of your master or show the letter of enfranchisement. And if a person is not registered at an enterprise, he will be added to the "parasite" database.

I think this is how the authorities intend to implement their plans. Such excesses may occur. It is not likely to be of mass character.

- Why?

- Because when you pull the pendulum too much to one side, you energize it to go to the other extreme. If the police or other authorized "people's guards" start grabbing people on the streets and ask "who are you?", they may get a quick response.

Just remember what happened to Decree No. 3 in 2017; it spurred mass protests and they had to step back. It may reoccur. If parasite commissions "cross the Rubicon", protests may help them turn back to the reality.

You must admit that no one wants to be robbed in the blaze of the day. And it the scenario for a Belarusian who has returned home after working abroad. Even if his money is in a foreign bank, such a case will cause inner conflict. This is a trivial robbery!

I guess the authorities believe that people will scare of the new decree and database, and surrender voluntarily. We should not do it anyway. Lukashenka tries to give us a scare; he has no real levers of influence. Robbery attempts will only make people furious, and it will be the turn of the authorities to feel fear.

- By the way, about fear. Lukashenka has recently stated that the economy is his greatest nightmare.

- Yes, Lukashenka has a deep-rooted nightmare. He does not understand how modern economy operates. He got stuck in Soviet believes.

He sees no other ways but to make people work under the whiplash. He could have realized that it's not effective. It was already clear during the imperial Rome. And even then it was a poor sight, and it caused the collapse of the Empire.

Lukashenka's system is decaying, because it can't get people involved in efficient work and uses obsolete methods.