Belarusians to remain without benefits, targeted assistance for several months
The notion of benefits will not longer exist in Belarus, the Council of the Republic, the upper chamber of the National Assembly, assured the European Radio for Belarus. Benefits will be replaced instead with the so called targeted assistance. But it will be done not as quickly as we would expect.
Siargej Kamianitski, the Labor and Social Policy Commission Chairman, is not prepared yet to give a precise answer about who the government is going to help and when the Council of Ministers is to draft a president’s decree on the targeted assistance.
“I don’t even know. Moreover, this decree does not go through the House of Representatives. The decree is drafted, signed by the president and that’s it. Then, it becomes effective,” Kamianetski said.
He also noted that the targeted assistance would be provided to those whose income does not go beyond 80 percent of the minimum wage.
The Ministry of Statistics told the European Radio for Belarus that it was not tracking and registering this category of citizens. They are tracking only those who make one minimum wage of Br171,000 monthly. But Siargej Kamianetski promised that by 2008 the state would have started granting social assistance to them as well.
One cannot say about the complete cancellation of benefits. Some of them will be abolished completely, while some will remain. Other benefits will be partially reduced.
The legislation is written on 60 pages. Journalists are denied access to the document on the grounds that they would be unable to process this amount of information.
Apparently, the draft decree on the targeted social assistance is not to be enacted soon. So, what those people in need of social assistance right now should do? Should they live without benefits and targeted assistance for several months?
Mikalaj Carhinec, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs and National Security Commission at the Council of the Republic, suggest the following solution:
“A person has been listed at the category of those who need targeted assistance. The decree is issued for instance in August. The benefits law is abolished on May 23. It means that the money will be refunded to him/her, beginning from May 23.”
It means that no assistance will be available for several months. For example, a student from a poor family will not be able to visit his parents in his village, beginning from late May. Assistance will be given to this family only several months after.
However, Siargej Kamianetski is confident that the law on targeted assistance will be enforced on time:
“Since the head of the state ordered the government to develop it on time, they cannot but do it on time. They will have to do it, because this draft is being under control of the president.”
The question why the authorities are pushing in such a rush for a new law on social benefits remains open.
