Minsk: Authorities squeeze money out of owners of route taxis

According to the information, provided to HRC Viasna by an entrepreneur who wouldnt like his name mentioned, since July 2006 the chair of the department of route taxis of the state organ Capitals transport and communications Valery Sasinouski has summonsed them to his office and demanded to transfer 31 000 rubles (about $13) monthly to an account. He asserts that the money is collected on the basis of a certain document, adopted by Minsk City Executive Committee. However, he refused to tell the name of the document. The entrepreneurs say that he only gave to them the account number and told to put the money there. Otherwise he threatened to deprive them of the routes.