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The Government of Belarus Cracks Down on Crime and
Corruption
On August
28, Piotr Miklashevich, Prosecutor General of Belarus, delivered his report
about the performance of prosecution agencies in reinforcing law and order
in Belarus, fight against corruption and crime in January-July 2007 to
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko.
According
to the press service of the President of Belarus, the accomplishment of a
set of measures contributed to steadying positive law enforcement
tendencies, first of all, the falling crime rate. In January-July 104,507
crimes were registered in Belarus, 7.5 percent less than in the same period
of last year. The number of grave crimes shrank by 20 percent. The number of
homicides and attempted homicides went down by 12.2 percent (from 548 down
to 481), robberies — 18.9 percent down (773 to 627), rapes and sexual
assaults — 19.5 percent down (from 205 to 165), cases of disorderly conduct
— 25.4 percent down (7,968 to 5,943). The crime rate among the underage
decreased by 19 percent (from 4,753 to 3,852 crimes).
Nevertheless, the President demanded that the Prosecutor General should take
more decisive and effective measures to fight crime.
It was also
noted, in January-July 2007 the number of corruption-related crimes slightly
declined in comparison with the same period of last year, which was
attributed to a crackdown on this evil in Belarus. All in all, around 2,000
corruption crimes as well as 666 briberies were registered.
According
to the Prosecutor General, the Anti-Corruption Law enforced in January 2007
played its positive role in decreasing the number of such crimes. The
achievement was also attributed to the fulfillment of the State
Anti-Corruption Program the President approved in May 2007, to
anti-corruption propaganda and a set of preventive measures.
Yet
Alexander Lukashenko demanded more vigorous and aggressive stance in
fighting corruption in Belarus. He said, it was vital to detect corruption
crimes at all levels of power.
The
President was also briefed about the progress in investigating several major
cases, in particular, a criminal case involving an illegal transfer of
commodities through the Zapadnyi Bug customs house. The criminal actions
resulted in around Br50 billion of damage.
The
procuracy supervision exercised top-priority control in the branches of the
national economy that directly influenced the national economic, food and
energy security. Exercising control over the observance of laws and the
legality of legal instruments, over the seven months of the year the
prosecution carried out over 9,000 inspections of companies, establishments,
local executive bodies, central government agencies and controlling bodies.
The prosecution restored violated personal rights and imposed disciplinary,
financial and administrative punishment on more than 20,000 infringers.
Using extra-judicial procedures natural and juridical persons reimbursed
over Br60 billion of damage they had inflicted. Law courts and economic
courts satisfied around 10,000 suits filed by the prosecution and recovered
more than Br100 billion of financial damage from the guilty.
Over the
seven months of 2007, the prosecution processed 24,000 appeals from
individuals. The appeals mainly concerned violated labor, housing or other
social rights, illegal administrative punishments, and illegal actions of
preliminary investigation bodies. One in five of the appeals was satisfied,
with specific measures taken to restore violated rights and bring legal
action against the guilty.
Special attention was paid to the operation of the investigative corps of
the prosecution and improvement of its practices. The investigation of 2,400
cases was finished. Investigators of the prosecution handled around 85
percent of official malfeasance cases, which investigation represents
special difficulty. During preliminary investigation, the prosecution’s
investigators took measures to recover more than Br3.3 billion to repay the
damage crimes had inflicted.
Prosecutors
backed public prosecution in 37,000 criminal cases. Following protests the
prosecution filed courts brought their rulings concerning more than 800
convicts into compliance with law, as such rulings wrongly qualified actions
of the convicts, imposed unjustifiably soft or severe punishments and
infringed other laws.
Over the
seven months of the year the prosecution took part in court proceedings
concerning almost 16,000 civil suits, corrected injustice concerning over
500 suits involving housing, labor and other social arguments between
individuals and involving the protection of state interests.
2008 Budget to Provide for Maximum Support for Investment
Projects
In line
with the 2008 draft budget, investment projects will get maximum support,
Sergei Sidorsky, Prime Minister of Belarus, said during the recent session
of the Council of Ministers. The session focused on the President’s draft
decrees “On approving most important parameters of the socio-economic
development forecast of Belarus for 2008” and “On approving the monetary
policy guidelines for 2008”, laws on the 2008 budget and on introducing
amendments and addenda into several laws of Belarus and on recognizing
several legislative acts of Belarus as the documents ceasing to be in force.
The Prime
Minister said that the innovation program is very important for meeting the
forecast of the socio-economic development of the country. In this
connection the Government suggested that this program should be considered
as a separate appendix of the 2008 budget. The state will provide support to
the companies implementing most important investment projects by
compensating some interest rate on banking loans.
The tax
load will be reduced next year. According to Sergei Sidorsky, one of the
turnover taxes will be abolished and the VAT rate will be increased in 2008.
These moves will help increase competitiveness of Belarusian products and
exports of Belarusian products.
The Prime
Minister has reminded that in line with the innovation program for 2010, the
country is expected to set up over 100 new companies and 380 productions. He
underlined the importance of the programs mapped out to modernize the
largest Belarusian companies including oil refineries.
Speaking at
the session about economic forecast Nikolai Zaichenko, Minister of Economy,
said that Belarus’ GDP is projected to increase by 7.5-8.5 percent in 2008.
According
to the Minister, in 2008 the industrial output is expected to increase by
7-8 percent. This is the maximum Belarus can expect bearing in mind this
year’s energy price hike. Moreover, the main investment projects aimed at
upgrading production facilities will be implemented in 2008. Nikolai
Zaichenko expressed his confidence that the industrial output will
considerably increase in 2009-2010.
The
agricultural production will surge by 6.5-8 percent, capital investments –
by 15-17 percent. Real cash incomes of the population will grow by 8-9
percent.
Inflation
is projected to stand at 6-8 percent in 2008. By the end of 2008, the
refinancing rate will be reduced down to 7-9 percent; bank loan rates –
10-12 percent.
According
to the Minister, the main goal of the 2008 forecast of socio-economic
development of Belarus is to continue improving the well-being of the
population through achieving stable economic growth, consolidating positive
tendencies of economic development, modernizing the national economy and
adapting it to the new terms of supply of energy carriers.
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