Yermakova: Exit fee justified for those who don't pay taxes
The National Bank Chairperson comments on introduction of the fee for cross-border shoppers, tells how often she leaves Belarus.
The exit fee should be introduced for the people who have incomes from foreign traveling but don't pay taxes for this. National Bank Chairperson Nadzeya Yermakova has expressed such opinion answering Euroradio journalist's question during the hotline held by the BELTA news agency.
"It needs to be defined who should pay these $100 - I think that those who have additional incomes from that and don't pay taxes could pay the fee," Nadzeya Yermakova says.
To Euroradio's question how often she travels abroad, Nadzeya Yermakova answers that she only goes there on business trips and doesn't like it much.
The issue of making people who want to leave the country pay $100 suggested by the Belarusian president will be decided in a month, Pyotr Prakapovich told Euroradio correspondent on September 11. According to him, the issue is under elaboration now.
Pyotr Prakapovich: "We are studying the situation: the number of people that go abroad, whether they do it every day or every other day, with what aims. The situation is complicated. We took $ 3 billion to Lithuania-Poland last year. This doesn't mean we do not sell anything there - our people sell cigarettes and fuel there, earning at that market."
Prakapovich has noted in a conversation with Euroradio that the exit duty will concern re-sellers, not ordinary customers.
Pyotr Prakapovich: "Commercial structures rent whole buses to deliver the goods that they bought allegedly for themselves, but in the reality to re-sell to us. We should reveal this niche. The companies do not pay customs fees, or taxes - they practically dig into our pockets. This is the main task - to stop this. The border is controlled. If you go abroad fifty times a year and bring the fiftieth refrigerator or dress, it is clear you don't need fifty refrigerators or dresses."
Euroradio reminds, the initiative to introduce the exit duty belongs to the state leader.
"Those people who criticize us today, like, a poor country of beggars, take over three billion dollars abroad and bring stuff here, but we manufacture the same stuff here. So, I ordered: if you want to go abroad to buy something, pay the fee. It will look like this: you get services at the border, then pay $100 and go abroad," the Belarus leader said in the beginning of September.
