Recent idea about 100 dollar tax for going abroad should be discussed seriously; we shouldn’t be ironic about it.                                                

The strange idea about collecting a hundred dollar tax from those Belarusans who go shopping abroad, voiced by Alexander Lukashenko while visiting the bicycle and motorcycle plant in Minsk. “Humor and sarcasm is the possible reaction to such a naïve and silly suggestion,” believes Uladzimir Matskevich, the Head of the Board of the International Consortium “EuroBelarus”. However, such an initiative shouldn’t be simplified too much. In the interview with the EuroBelarus Information Service one of the leaders of the Belarusan civil society describes economic situation in the country.

The situation should be discussed seriously and in great detail

According to Uladzimir Matskevich this situation is caused by the problem with the protection of domestic market, which is important for Belarus, as it is influenced by serious economic players:

— It is the domestic market protection that all our long-term opportunities for economic development of the country are connected with. It seems that the centralization of budgetary funds and poor local funding makes the influence of domestic market not that important. Nevertheless, this problem is relevant, especially for depopulated Belarusan villages and small towns.

Besides, the survived manufacturing capacities of old collective farms and processors can be export-oriented; whereas everyday goods are being actively imported to our country, which cannot but have an impact on the work of our factories, which cannot compete with the world leading producers neither in quality, nor in the working efficiency.

And if we lose our domestic market besides our uncompetitiveness at the foreign market, many Belarusan factories will fall into depression, which, in its turn, affect the families of the workers, by this decreasing their purchasing power and thus, affecting the productivity of agricultural and food production. I.e. all these chains cause serious problems impossible to resolve separately or by introduction of some prohibitory law, such as a tax for going abroad. This silly incident indicates how tremendous the problems which are never put in the forefront are. However, the lack of attention doesn’t mean that there are no problems; and we’d better discuss them seriously and in great detail that be sarcastic about them.

Obsolete concepts arouse new problems

Uladzimir Matskevich highlights that the rivalry on modern markets cannot do without the state; that is why certain protectionism is always considered as one of the possible means, though the idea to close domestic market from outside influence is the worst possible solution:

— The decisions they make depend on the world view they have. And before we understand that the country needs education that provides people with an adequate world-view rather than ideology, we will face stupid decisions and long ago discredited notions and concepts.

The lack of education deprives our politicians and officials of the opportunity to understand that they have to work with subtle matters. We cannot build democracy, solve the problems with economic sector and lead our country to the path of development by solving local problems at local markets or by concentrating on one market, even if it’s a large one. The mess in the economy first of all means that our heads are in a mess. People have wrong attitude towards economy on the whole, and this attitude has its impact on each separate case, even if we can find brilliant solution for any local problem. Because obsolete concepts in our heads will lead to some new situation with different local problems in the future.

A mess in the heads of the president and the majority of population

Uladzimir Matskevich believes that the assumptions voiced by some Belarusan experts that Lukashenko’s statements are only distractions from some more serious problem have a right to live. He also said that “the nonsense about a hundred-dollar tax and ruined contracts with “Belaruskali” are of similar nature”. “It demonstrates the mess in the heads of the president and the majority of population, which is also true for the qualified economists and businessmen,” he said.

— What is really striking is that lots of actions and statements are just absurd; however, it is only natural. Accumulation of many small problems in a short time and at one place results in the necessity to solve them, which results in the shortage of time to find general solution. It is what we have today, when after twenty years of seemingly stable state of our economy we found ourselves tied with numerous economic problems accumulated in early 90s only to be in rear guard of world economic development.

Our problems today have reached new level and the system which has already been built is incapable to deal with them anymore. That is why people responsible for the state of economy in the country have to solve their problems in such a way, which may seem absurd for average people. Still, they are not absurd; it is the law of simplification that works here, and it was inevitable to end up like this.

When everyone is laughing seriousness looks stupid

When analyzing the reaction of the society on such initiatives as tax for going abroad, we should bear in mind that market laws are not working in the sphere of social relations and mass consciousness, Uladzimir Matskevich is convinced:

— Despite the problems with currency, we still have goods to export and certain leverages to support the seeming wellbeing, and these resources will last out for some time if nothing extraordinary happens. Without some external impetus this system can survive; on the other hand, no one can predict what these impetuses can look like, and any impetus will break the fragile construction.

If the above mentioned problems are discussed seriously, we’ll have to talk about them outside the narrow circle of people concerned, i.e. owners and managers of Belarusan enterprises and a small circle of analysts and economists. Serious discussion of these problems finally makes public aware of them, and the society comes to a conclusion that the government is acting in a wrong way. So some silly idea is required to make economists and analytics laugh at it, which will finally make the situation futile for everyone.

Thus, by such a light-headed attitude independent analysts are basically helping Belarusan authorities to extinguish the source of social tension. When everyone is making fun of the situation no social outbreak can be expected.

Generally, people treat Lukashenko’s statement as some another clown’s foolish remark; however, if some people want to be serious about it, it becomes impossible, as they look like fools who have believed what they heard. By this status quo and stability in country is preserved.