Entrepreneurs from Polatsk: If tax inspections continue, we will close down

On Friday in Polatsk began an unexpected strike of entrepreneurs who are boycotting due to mass identity checks and seizures. Traders would not stand them, they shut down their shops and went to the tax authorities to fight off their comrades. The rally yielded no results, and the entrepreneurs went in rows to the executive committee, where they demanded explanation about their working conditions with ongoing checks and seizures.

"We were openly told by the tax services that if we interfere with their work, they will act according to the law. They also said that inspections will continue. But we are not going to stand and watch them trip our neighbor, " says entrepreneur from Polatsk, activist Volha.

The woman said that Tuesday will show, whether they will go to work, as all of them have paid taxes for October. But if there is an inspection, they will close the blinds.

Entrepreneurs stress that the inspectionsstarted after the elections, not before.

However, the Polatsk tax service staff told Euroradio: linking inspections to the elections is wrong, they have been and they will be. They would not comment firther, but advise to contact the tax authorities in the Vitsebsk region. In Vitsebsk, the phone was answered by the deputy chief of tax service Tatsiana. She was on duty on Saturday hotline and had no calls on documentation from entrepreneurs.

"I was on duty on the hotline on Saturday, but no entrepreneurs called and asked questions!" said the outraged woman and added calmly:

"Entrepreneurs have been working without documents confirming the purchase of goods. Everyone should have them -- a bill of lading, confirming the fact of importation of the goods. These very documents were invalid. It was found that the Russian firm, which gave the invoice, did not to ship specified goods."

Euroradio: But entrepreneurs paid taxes on those invoices. The tax office did accept them - how is it possible?

Tax service: The tax was paid. But we checked the fact that the goods were sold without documents. It is a violation.

Note that the tax service would not provide Euroraadio with information about the supposedly checked Russian entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs have also not been given any documents confirming queries made in Russia.

The situation when the Belarusian businessmen purchase invoices in Russia for money are not rare often, Belarusians cannot ensure their authenticity. As one of the businessmen told Euroradio, invoice checking usually boils down to checking whether the name of the company director that gave the invoice matches the one in the documents. That's all. You can purchase documents in Russia for any group of products, and this was stated repeatedly.

Euroradio has also appealed to businessmen from other regions of Belarus. They noted that there have been no draconian measures yet, controls and penalties are underway. Here is what an entrepreneur Alyaksei from Mahiliou said:

"Situation is different to the one in Polatsk. According to the businessman, after January 1, 2016 he will not work, just like his colleagues: - Why should I? Place in a good shopping center costs 22 million a month, I can live on this money for a few months. I think we will surely go on strike for a couple of months, we'll then see exactly how the authorities will react."

From January 1, 2016 takes effect the decree number 222, which requires the businesses to have documents on the quality of products.

Photo: TUT.BY