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Presidential Administration head promises that draft liberalization directive will be discussed with business community

Uladzimir Makey, head of the Presidential Administration, has promised that a draft presidential directive aimed at economic liberalization would be discussed with the business community, as quoted by BelaPAN.

The directive was the focus of Wednesday's meeting of the Public Advisory Council under the aegis of the Presidential Administration, the first one in nearly a year.

The directive is expected to improve the country's investment environment, tax and pricing rules, loan availability and administrative procedures and liberalize labor market regulations and the system of audits by governmental agencies.

During the meeting of the Public Advisory Council, Mr. Makey, its chairman, emphasized the importance of economic liberalization, saying that "reasonable and non-orthodox" proposals by the Council's members would be taken into consideration.

Although maximum support would be provided to businesspeople under the directive, it would only be available to those who start new manufacturing businesses and create new jobs, Mr. Makey said.

Participants at the meeting discussed, among other issues, relations between the state and the private sector, the qualifications of government officials and business managers, education problems and staff training and financial support of small and medium-sized businesses.

He called on the business community to be more vocal about their problems.

Nevertheless, even businesspeople sometimes fail to point out certain mistakes, Mr. Makey said.

For example, despite their praise, a presidential edict governing the relationship between businesses and lessors had to be sent back to the head of state "to be put to rights," he noted.

The date of the Public Advisory Council's next meeting will be known within about a month. It is expected to take place in the latter half of August or in the first half of September and focus on education and staff training issues.

Established on January 27, 2009, by consent of Alyaksandr Lukashenka, the Public Advisory Council consisted of 30 members, including prominent critics of the government. The first meeting of the Council, which focused on the rules of procedure, was held on February 6. At a meeting on April 31, the Council discussed the development of the Belarusian economy amid the current crisis. At its third meeting, which was held on June 17 at a correctional institution in Zhodzina, Minsk region, the Council discussed the issue of the death penalty.

Mr. Makey suspended the Council on November 12, linking his decision to media reports in which "certain opposition figures," including members of the Council, dismissed it as a sham and decorative body.

After consultations with members of the Council, Mr. Makey announced in February that the Public Advisory Council would resume its meetings.