Brest city budget gets partially unveiled
After a group of Brest
residents applied to Brest Region Council in connection with the reluctance of
the city authorities to familiarize the public with the local budget, it was
published in "Brestskiy Vestnik" newspaper.
However, as it was found later, the budget was published in this state-owned
newspaper only partially, and the continuation may be published later. Besides,
it still hasn't been published at the web-page of "Brestskiy Vestnik"
or Brest City Executive Committee.
As stated by one an initiator of the appeal, Ihar Maslouski, the received
answer gives no clues whether the authorities will take into account proposals
of citizens for publication of such documents in the Internet and their wide
public discussion during the drafting (there haven't been such discussions so
far).
"We faced a paradoxical approach, when the regional council remind the
city colleagues about the necessity to strictly abide by the Law of the
Republic of Belarus "On Applications of Citizens", but cannot decide
whether citizens' proposals can be accepted," states Mr. Maslouski.
According to him, the citizens intend to continue claiming publicity in the
process of decision-taking by the local authorities and for access to necessary
information.