Reforming freeloaders in Belarus

"As far as I know, about 500 thousand citizens are not doing anything for our economy. It may be 100 thousands – housewives and people working on their own farms. What are the remaining 400 thousands doing? Who pays for their living?” BELTA quotes the President.

"It is time to stop this idling, 400 thousands should start working in the name of the revolution. These people must be forced to work, we should stop giving benefits to those who don’t,” Lukashenka stressed.

It was almost a pre-election promise that Lukashenka described to Russian mass media in October 2010:

"It may be necessary to take measures like in the Soviet time after the election. People must work.”

Lukashenka mentioned guest workers a year after the election. They are also freeloaders because… they do not pay taxes, Lukashenka believes.

"They are not helping the state. They should at least pay for the communal services and medical assistance then. We need to tell them: you have come to make money in another state and you do not give any money to the state. It is okay if you pay 100% for the communal services!”

Alyaksandr Lukashenka announced that the unemployed would have to make account for their actions in 2012:

"We will ask every unemployed person why they do not have a job. I think we will use this leverage – everyone must work!”

PM Mihail Myasnikovich suggested imposing a tax for freeloaders in July 2013. It turned out that 400 thousand people did not work and did not help the state in any way. The bill even leaked to the press – the tax was supposed to be 20 base amounts in 2015.

Vice PM Anatol Tozik also agreed that freeloaders had to be punished.

"We are considering the idea of an individual social card. If you come to a policlinic, the card will show that you have not been paying to the Social Protection Fund for a year. Then you will have to pay for medical assistance. Isn’t it fair? It is.”