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Perspektyva association criticizes bill that would govern small and medium businesses

The Perspektyva small business association has criticized a newly drafted law that would govern small and medium sized businesses, urging the authorities not to put the legislation on the agenda of the House of Representatives without prior wide discussion.

The bill, drawn up by experts of business associations, the Belarusian Council on Enterprise Development and the International Financial Corporation, does not take into account the interests of small vendors with sole entrepreneur status, Perspektyva leader Anatol Shumchanka told BelaPAN.

Its Article 4 defines a sole entrepreneur as a family-owned business that may employ only three relatives.
Perspektyva sent copies of its appeal to Presidential Administration head Uladzimir Makey and Deputy Economy Minister Andrey Tur, calling on them to set up various platforms to discuss any newly drafted regulations governing small and medium sized businesses.

The association condemned the bill as provocative and anti-business.

“We regret that business associations have been led by the nose by reactionary government officials,” the appeal reads. “The International Financial Corporation also could have tried to understand the problems of Belarusian sole entrepreneurs instead of shoving its standard recommendations into the hands of entrepreneurs’ foes.”