"You Have To Build Democracy First."

Why the authorities are losing in the fight against "dimwits".

October 1, new rules of payment for utilities for those, who got into the database of "labor evaders," will come into force in Belarus.

From now on, the owner of the apartment, recognized as a "deadbeat," will pay higher rates for all utilities, even if other people, who officially work, live there (until now, the owner-"deadbeat" only paid his part at full rates).

For many years, the authorities have been trying to win the fight against "deadbeats," but it's not very successful. This was recently recognized by the chairman of the so-called Council of the Republic, Natalia Kochanova, who said that "officials have not come up with a mechanism to make all those who do not yet do so work". She complained that it has not yet been possible to motivate people to work.

Surprisingly, it seems that officials do not even think about whether this problem can actually be solved by coercive methods? And is it possible to create this very labor motivation by psychological pressure and intimidation at so-called "preventive" conversations in the police or by harsh financial measures?

Leonid Sudalenko, lawyer of the Solidarnost Association, in a conversation with "Salidarnastsyu" noted that the state, of course, is interested in getting as many people to work and pay taxes as possible. Especially now, when various social funds are suffering from lack of funds, when the population is aging, and pensioners will soon outnumber workers.

Sudalenko stressed that this is a problem for the country, but it is impossible to solve it in the way the current regime is trying to, because the root causes lie on a different plane:

- If you go to a small district center, where 10-15 thousand people live, for example, in Loyev, which is located 100 kilometers from Gomel, it will be impossible to find work for everyone there. It is good if there is a bakery, for example, but such enterprises are not everywhere.

And if you are not a policeman, an official, a teacher or a tax inspector, it is easy to become a "deadbeat". Where can people work in Loewe, if they are not self-employed - if they don't fish or grow fruits and vegetables in their vegetable garden or homestead to feed themselves?

You can't travel 100 kilometers to Gomel. It is good if you live, for example, in Fanipol and can get to Minsk in 15 minutes by train, where the labor market is, of course, much bigger.

The government has not solved the problem of employment of people in small settlements, which are very numerous in every region. And it is on this basis that the state policy should be built - creation of jobs in small towns, and competitive jobs.

But this requires serious legal investments, and who will do it under today's dictatorship? Only criminal or semi-criminal money can be made - no one will invest "clean" money.

First of all, it is necessary to build democracy in the country, which will cooperate with the International Labor Organization and other international structures, and then investments will come, developing the same private business, which in turn will create new jobs.

And, perhaps, then many of those who left for political reasons, including highly qualified workers and specialists, will return to Belarus. But under the dictatorship it is unrealistic.

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