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The
process of reformation of public property in 2002 will be based on the following
approaches:
·
ensuring
efficacious operation of transformed enterprises;
·
differentiated
approach to privatisation of enterprises depending on liquidity, competitive
selection results and expertise of long-term business projects, and control
over the fulfilment by new owners of assumed commitments;
·
combining policy
of privatisation with investment through organisation of combined auctions
(including by the method of diminishing the initial price for privatisation
facilities), and investment contests;
·
expanding
privatisation tools, including sale of facilities for freely convertible
currency, as well as sale at auctions with conditions or contests of
enterprises whose financial debts are equal to the active part of the balance
or exceed this part (with up to 100 jobs).
In 2002, priority privatisation methods
will be auction or sale through contest of small-size facilities, facilities of
incomplete construction cycle, including by diminishing the initial price.
Priority in destatisation and privatisation including bankruptcy procedure will
be given when dealing with inefficient operating state-owned enterprises. It is
planned to work out special measures that should be applied during bankruptcy
procedure to legal entities classified as important or especially important
public facilities.
During the period up to the year 2005, it is planed to
complete, mostly, destatisation and privatisation of unprofitable enterprises
and enterprises with the number of staff up to 200 persons, to conduct
destatisation of large industrial enterprises and, above all, enterprises of
the petrochemical complex involving foreign investors, which will serve as a
transition stage to a large-scale privatisation in the future. Facilities of
priority privatisation in the country include also facilities of the services
and trade sectors, small enterprises and a significant part of medium-size
enterprises of the agro-industrial and the construction complexes.
Incorporation of the petrochemical complex
Work is being completed on preparation of
projects aimed at organization of open joint-stock companies on the basis of
the following Republic"s Unitarian Enterprises (RUE): "PA
"Polymir", SPA "Azot", "BTC "Belshina",
"Svetlogorsk PA "Khimvolokno", "PA "Naftan", and
"Mogilev PA "Khimvolokno". It is planed to conduct incorporation
of the Grodno Production Amalgamation (PA) "Khimvolokno" at a later
stage. Evaluation of state property at the enterprises has been completed. Open
joint-stock companies will be formed, at the initial stage, with 100% state
capital, followed by subsequent sale of a part of shares at investment
contests. The second stage is planned for selling a part of state-owned shares
at investment contests with subsequent investing of capital directly into
incorporated enterprises according to agreed terms and conditions. For all
enterprises, lists of essential investment projects have been developed and
such actions are to be held in the near time.
Liberalisation of economic relations
Use of stimulating role of taxes, a
step-by-step reduction of their number and tax burden, and simplification of
collection mechanism
To lower the tax burden on the economy of the
Republic, the rate of the tax on profits was reduced from 30 to 24% as from 1
January 2002 (Article 7 of the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On Making
Amendments and Additions in Certain Legislation Acts of the Republic of Belarus
on Issues of Taxation" dated 8 January 2002, No. 86-3).
Regulation of the procedure of registration
and liquidation of economic subjects
The draft Decree of the
President of the Republic of Belarus has been prepared that stipulates
substantial simplification of the procedure of registration and liquidation of
economic subjects by transition to the declarative principle of registration.
In so doing, economic subjects must inform in writing the respective
registration and tax authority about those types of activities they are
planning to perform. Informing about exercise of the types of activities
indicated in the certificate of state registration of the individual
businessman or in foundation documents of commercial and non-commercial
organisations is not required. It is provided that private unitary enterprises
shall be registered at the domicile of their founder.
Reduction of licensed types of activities
The House of
Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus considers
the draft Law of the Republic of Belarus "On Licensing". Taking into
account that licensing of certain types of activities in the Republic is within
the competence of the President of the Republic of Belarus, it was decided to
draft the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus which should
reflect types of activities liable to licensing and other issues concerning
licensing. Standards of this decree, after it has been adopted, will be
reflected in the draft Law of the Republic of Belarus "On Licensing".
It is envisaged to reduce the number of types of entrepreneurial activities
liable to licensing from 165 to 42 at the first stage and, finally, to 10-12.
Introduction of the tax code of the
Republic of Belarus
On 29 November 2001,
the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of
Belarus passed the first (general) part of the Tax Code of the Republic of
Belarus (in the first reading). It is planned that the second and third parts
of the Tax Code of the Republic of Belarus will be considered by deputies at
the next 2002 spring session of the House of Representatives of the National
Assembly of the Republic of Belarus.
Price liberalisation
During 2002, it is
planned to take steps towards further liberalisation of prices (tariffs):
reduction of the list of regulated prices (tariffs) while preserving state
regulation in relation to commodities (work and services) of monopolist
enterprises, as well as individual socially important commodities and services.
Work will be continued in the sphere of regulated price formation aimed at
regulating prices and tariffs in fuel and energy sectors, housing and communal
sector, transport, communication, and agro-industrial complex with a view of
cutting subsidies, including cross subsidising, within the price formation
system, minimising load on industry and budget, liquidating disproportion and
disparities in sectors and spheres of economy. It is planned to implement the
Concept of reduction and liquidation of cross subsidising of housing and
communal services.
Completion of small privatisation
The plans of the
Government envisage completion, in 2002, of destatisation and privatisation of
enterprises of trade, public meals and communal services. As for 1 January
2002, the following percentage of enterprises had been transformed in the
sectors of trade, public meals and communal services for different cities:
Brest 47%, Vitebsk 54%, Gomel 76%, Grodno 38%, Mogilev 81%, and Minsk 82%.