BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

25/04/2008

Decree Raising Office Rents For NGOs Takes Effect In Belarus

The decree issued by Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka on October 23, 2007, to abolish concessions for renting offices by many nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), took effect on April 24, Belapan reported. Prior to this decree, nonprofit NGOs enjoyed the privilege of paying one euro ($1.56) per square meter for renting up to 75 square meters of office space, whereas commercial organizations paid 10 euros per square meter. The decree preserved the favorable rent for nonprofit NGOs that are engaged in charity activities or run children's and youth sports-training groups and children's theater, and dancing, literary, or art studios. The low rent has also been preserved for small-business owners and organizations if at least half of their employees have disabilities, and for art associations that rent space for workshops, galleries, exhibitions, studios, or laboratories. "This is one more economic noose on nongovernmental organizations," Hary Pahanyayla of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee told Belapan. "Some organizations will retain the privilege, but it will again be up to the authorities to decide to whom the lower rate should apply," he said. Most of the office buildings in Minsk are under the control of the presidential administration, while in the provinces such buildings are controlled by local governments. AM

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2008/04/3-cee/cee-250408.asp

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