Pyatkevich supports cancellation of benefits
“They should have done it in a radical way – remove benefits for everyone,” – claimed Natallya Pyatkevich (deputy head of the President’s Administration) during the meeting with Belarusian parliamentarians and representatives of public organizations yesterday.
The meeting was organized by the President’s Administration and the House of Representatives to discuss the bill “On state social benefits and guarantees for some categories of citizens”.
According to Pyatkevіch, “it is necessary to support citizens in connection with the increase of prices for energy supplies. We can keep the benefits but it will result in 3 or 4 times bigger expenses”.
She stressed that Belarus has been trying to cancel benefits for the last two years. According to her, the idea of cancellation of all benefits was considered during the preparation of the bill.
“But it was decided to do it gradually and to keep some benefits changing the approach to them”, - said the deputy head of the President’s Administration. She added that there must be two criteria while giving benefits – they should be given to those who deserve it and they should be selective - given to those who badly need them. According to Pyatkevich, the money the state will earn from cancellation of benefits will be used for the programme “Children of Belarus”.
She also informed that the state will be able to save up to one billion when the benefits are cancelled. She did not mention whether she meant USD or BRB. The head of the standing commission on labour, social protection and rights of veterans and invalids of the House of Representatives Syarhei Kamyanetskі said that the hearing of the bill on benefits would take place at the end of May.
The meeting was organized by the President’s Administration and the House of Representatives to discuss the bill “On state social benefits and guarantees for some categories of citizens”.
According to Pyatkevіch, “it is necessary to support citizens in connection with the increase of prices for energy supplies. We can keep the benefits but it will result in 3 or 4 times bigger expenses”.
She stressed that Belarus has been trying to cancel benefits for the last two years. According to her, the idea of cancellation of all benefits was considered during the preparation of the bill.
“But it was decided to do it gradually and to keep some benefits changing the approach to them”, - said the deputy head of the President’s Administration. She added that there must be two criteria while giving benefits – they should be given to those who deserve it and they should be selective - given to those who badly need them. According to Pyatkevich, the money the state will earn from cancellation of benefits will be used for the programme “Children of Belarus”.
She also informed that the state will be able to save up to one billion when the benefits are cancelled. She did not mention whether she meant USD or BRB. The head of the standing commission on labour, social protection and rights of veterans and invalids of the House of Representatives Syarhei Kamyanetskі said that the hearing of the bill on benefits would take place at the end of May.