Lukashenko orders tax cuts, suspends inspections in Orsha District

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has signed Decree No. 506 "On the development of Orsha District, Vitebsk Oblast" that approves the district's development program for the period till 2023, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian leader.

The program seeks to address key issues of Orsha District. Its ultimate goal is to create conditions conducive to comprehensive social and economic development of the district. This implies measures to improve the quality of life, to encourage entrepreneurship and to increase revenues of the local budget.

To achieve this goal, a series of economic, financial, administrative and tax measures will be taken. New and existing economic operators working in the district shall be entitled to a number of tax benefits. For example, they shall be exempt from paying VAT while importing technological equipment; the tax rate under the simplified tax scheme will be reduced to 1%; pension insurance contributions will be reduced; and no interest will be charged for tax deferment.

Apart from that, the program envisages incentives for investors. For example, the Orsha District Executive Committee shall be authorized to manage ineffectively used property belonging to the central government. Orsha District shall be allowed to apply the construction and technical standards of the EU, the EAEU and the PRC, to conduct state examinations of project documentation without adapting it to the current standards. When setting up or expanding manufacturing facilities local enterprises shall be exempt from paying compensations to agricultural and forestry industries for their losses and also from paying compensation fees for the flora objects they destroy.

Apart from that, measures shall be taken to streamline business inspection activities and decriminalize economic risks in Orsha District. The moratorium on spot inspections shall be in effect until 31 December 2023. A list of cases for out-of-schedule inspections will be drawn up. The use of custody as a pre-trial restriction will be minimized in favor of other preventive measures while investigating economic crimes.

Salaries of managers and public servants will depend on the results of the implementation of the Orsha District development program. Salaries of company chiefs will no longer be bound to the average salary in an organization.

The measures to develop Orsha District that will prove most effective will be subsequently replicated in other districts of the country and create the basis for a comprehensive action plan for their development.

BELARUSIAN NEWS