A plan of top-priority measures aimed at liberalising business conditions in 2009 was approved by the Belarus President Administration and the Government of the Republic of Belarus on January 13, 2009, BelTA learnt from representatives of the Economy Ministry. The document was adopted in order to improve the country’s business and investment climate. It provides for measures aimed at perfecting administrative and technical procedures (in transportation, state transportation supervision, foreign trade, state registration or re-registration of medical products and medical instruments). Procedures relating to design, construction, and commissioning of objects will be improved. Changes will be applied to property and land relations: auction and tender procedures will be simplified, lease payment for real estate provided for manufacturing products, performing services in urban towns, regional towns, and rural areas will be optimised. As far as taxes and customs laws are concerned, there are plans to annul, facilitate the calculation and payment of several taxes, duties and customs charges. In the area of pricing regulations and antimonopoly laws the application of free prices (tariffs), mark-ups will be expanded. Measures will be stepped up to create competition conditions for businesses on commodity markets. With a view to improving investment activities foreign investors will be able to use services of foreign design companies for developing design and budget documentation. The plan also includes measures to simplify certification of construction, sanitary, fire hazard norms and rules. Measures for regulating monetary and credit relations and banking activities are designed to set up a network of bank administration funds and to perfect bank lending for projects implemented as part of state programmes. Measures meant to improve the business environment focus attention on the creation of conditions for self-employment of individuals, including the expansion of the number of craft activities and permission to carry out certain activities in living premises, for instance, on the ground floor of apartment buildings. The plan also includes measures meant to enhance the financial market (facilitation of deals with securities), labour market encouragement and some others. The measures will help improve the business climate, bring down administrative barriers and remove other restrictions. It will provide an additional boost to the development of self-employed businesses, services and the social sphere.

БЕЛТА