Entrepreneurs of Polatsk refuse to pay taxes

The vendors of the central market of Polatsk decided not to pay the money for development of the market athwart the demands of the market administration.

They call the yearly taxes extortion and refuse to pay them this year. Entrepreneurs from other cities of Belarus also oppose the pressurization at their market.

About 800 people work at Polatsk collective farm market. Each of them used to pay about 500 000 - 600 000 rubles a year. This year they refused to do it. Then the administration proceeded from threats to persuasions.

‘In this case we did not refuse, but sent a delegation. We agreed that each of the street vendors will pay only 60 000 rubles, and those who worked at stalls - 140 000 rubles. But not all of the entrepreneurs agreed to it,’ said the head of Navapolatsk trade union of entrepreneurs Valery Shauchenka.

A considerable part of the entrepreneurs refuse to pay, that’s why the market administration is trying to get allegedly ‘optional contributions’, while the confrontation between the officials and the entrepreneurs continues.

The entrepreneurs of Salihorsk managed to get the cost of the rent returned to the old norms and even managed to get a check-up of the usage of the raised money by the market administration. The check-up is being conducted by Minsk oblast department of the State Control Committee.

‘We have been trying to get this check-up for quite a long time, writing to all instances. We proved that the rent was increased unlawfully and now it will be found out for sure whether any money has been stolen from us. After the check-up we will be told the precise sum of the rent. Of course, the majority of entrepreneurs support us as they want to pay less rent. However, none of them believe that one can win in the struggle against the authorities,’ says the entrepreneur Tatsiana Kuchynskaya.

Despite this opinion, the entrepreneurs of Minsk market Zhdanovichy managed to get the rent decreased by 20% in May and April.