22 March 2004 17:42
Belarus NGO`s property seized for failure to pay tax on EU aid
Minsk, 22 March: The property of the Slonim-based [Hrodna Region] NGO called the Will to Develop has been arrested
following the organization's failure to pay taxes on technical aid it had received under the [European
Union's] TACIS programme.
As Belapan learnt from the NGO chairman, Mikhail Varanets, charges brought against his organization are exactly the
same the tax authorities had brought against the Belarusian Helsinki Committee [human rights watchdog]. [The Belarusian
Helsinki Committee was accused of failure to pay taxes on grants under the TACIS programme see report by Belarusian news
agency Belapan, in Russian, 1648 gmt 17 Mar 04.]
[Passage omitted: the tax inspectorate in Slonim revealed violations of tax legislation after an audit see report by
Belarusian television, Minsk, in Russian, 1900 gmt 16 Mar 04.]
Varanets said he had shown the tax inspectors documents signed by Leanid Arlow, executive director of the TACIS
bureau in Belarus, saying that taxes are not levied on technical assistance under the programme. However, the tax
officers said that the Will to Develop NGO was subject to taxation under a document signed by the economics minister. As
a result, the organization's property was seized by the local tax inspectorate.
The Will to Develop NGO received the aid in question under the TACIS programme to set up the Svyatlitsa club for
teenagers.
[Belapan news agency] |
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