The Minsk Resident: About 100 Rubles More To Pay for Utilities Under 'Parasite' Decree

The state has decided that an unemployed has money to blow.

This month many Belarusians who got into the base of "parasites" have received, according to Decree № 1, utility bills with higher tariff rates.

Andrei M., apartment owner and freelance copywriter from Minsk, shared his story with Charter97.org.

- Tell us, what was on the bill you received?

- An average utility bill including heating and cable TV used to be about 34 rubles. I own a one-room apartment in the capital.

The bill for January I received in February had the figure of Br57.

I remembered that the ruling regime promised all Belarusians the prices increase for housing and communal services as the New Year's gift, but it was a price surge.

However, the March utility bill has become a surprise. Since I am officially declared unemployed, the state seems to have decided that I am incredibly rich.

The bill was about a hundred rubles. Moreover, officially "economically justified tariffs" were applied only to hot water. And what will happen when other positions increase since autumn? I don't know how I will pay for it. Probably, I will have to eat less.

- Were there any other alarms? Have the authorities signaled before in connection with the creation of the "parasite database"?

- You know, the regime has a very advanced repressive apparatus. In our house, many services were involved against "parasites".

For example, local police officer wiaseled the unemployed and forcing neighbors to informing. Three months ago, the Emergency Ministry conducted a strange survey which mainly involved occupation issues.

There was some registered letter from the "commission for employment of citizens under the district executive committee," or whatever it's called, but I intentionally ignored it.

No good news one can expect from this state, and I already have enough bad ones. By the way, a higher utility bill is not the most unpleasant "surprise". New decree No. 1 allows the commission to deprive any person of liberty without a court decision. How many cases will occur in Belarus? One can only guess and hope that people will not be silent.

- The authorities call new tariffs "economically justified". In your opinion, is it true?

- Recently, an official said that Belarusians already paid more than 80% of the economically justified costs of the housing and utilities sector. Therefore, I do not understand the galloping growth of prices for utilities.

Unemployed people all over the world get assistance. What does Lukashenka's entourage aim at?

I think that in the near future we can see a crisis of non-payments for housing and communal services. In each such case there will be a judicial ban on alienation of property in six months and a person will be actually evicted. There will be many cases.

- Have the authorities offered any valid options for formal employment?

- In developed countries, it's normal to change jobs from time to time. It's the dynamic time we live in. But it's not valid in our country. The loss of an official job is turning into a nightmare thanks to efforts of the state.

Despite my freelance income I went to the employment office. And then the most interesting thing has started.

The employment office formally offers retraining courses, so I decided to try myself as a cook. But suddenly it turned out that I had to wait for another six months before the courses, and for some reason I was urged to work as a loader.

Every job is worth doing, but for health reasons, I can't lift weights. I refused and the reaction was pretty harsh. I was taken off the register at the employment office, and I was not allowed to recover during the year.

But when tried to officially find a job, officials confessed, and I learned some tacit rules of our system. For example, the fact that citizens with a criminal record or those who used to be registered with a narcologist do not have a chance in Belarus, even for dirty unskilled work.

"What about prisoners?" I asked a social worker at the employment office. "Prisoners? They are not people anymore. They will go back to prison again," a woman who should provide assistance to such people said indifferently.

Look at the number of prisoners in our country - they are potential "parasites" and a trigger for a social upheaval.

- In your opinion, why did the second edition of the "parasite" decree focus on communal issues for the unemployed landlords? Why is such attention paid to the real estate of citizens?

- It is one that keeps us from the social bottom. Even by court order, a person's apartment remains inviolable during the confiscation of property.

Decree No. 1 applies a despicable method: the authorities believe that people are likely to starve to death, but give everything to protect their property.

This decree pursues the inhuman logic of the Belarusian ruler. To make your entourage even richer, and to take the latter away from the poor.

- What do you intend to do with increased utility bills? Will you challenge them in court?

- I'm going address the REP lawyers. I will sue the "parasite" commission.

When the first edition of the decree was issued, I promised to barricade the front door with a sofa, but I would not pay them. I'm ready to repeat my words.

- How do you assess the struggle for the abolition of the decree on "parasites" waged by the unemployed in Homel?

- Maria Tarasenka, the housewife, and Sudalenka, the "lawyer of parasites" who helps her, are the first fruits, and it makes me happy. I hope that claims of the unemployed against the state will become common.

- What do you recommend to those who have also received "parasite" utility bills?

- We should take to the streets to reach our goal. Decree No. 3 'succeeded', and now we're given a new edition of old songs.

I'll go alone with a poster if I have to. First, I was detained for a day and then fined for mass actions against the first edition of the decree on "parasites". I do not regret it for a minute. I have also contributed a little to abolishing this legal nonsense.

Still, we must strive to abolish this injustice together. There are many of us. Even if we take figures of the authorities - it's half a million.

The main thing is not to be afraid and not to hope for someone else's mercy. And those who mock at people should be blacklisted for professional incompetence.

If you like this article, you can support the website Charter97.org

MULTI-CURRENCY ACCOUNT FOR ASSISTANCE:

Bank's name: Bank Millennium S.A.
Address: ul. Stanislawa Zaryna, 2A, 02-593, Warszawa
IBAN: PL 97 1160 2202 0000 0002 1671 1123
SWIFT: BIGBPLPW
Name of the account holder: Fundacja “KARTA ‘97”
Purpose/title of payment: Donation for statuary aims

You can contact us by the e-mail [email protected]