The Way Lukashenka's Administration Raises Millions on Lakes and Rivers

Authorities are looking for new ways to steal from people.

Pripyatsky National Park wants to expand its territory by adding Chervonoye Lake, which locates in the Zhitkovichi district, Homel region. It caused resentment among the locals. People are against the lake, which is under the trust of local tenants, to be transferred to "sovereign people".

It is no secret that all the national parks of Belarus - "Braslav Lakes", "Belovezhskaya Pushcha", "Narochansky", "Pripyatsky" - are under control of Lukashenka's Administration. First of all, these are state enterprises created to attract rich amateurs of hunting and fishing.

Foreigners who have been to Pripyatsky say that the minimum hunting tour for 2 days costs 735 euros. 7-day tour with six days of hunting - 1990 euros. The most expensive option is 2500 euros.

It turns out that in the case of Chervonoye Lake, which was once cleaned up by local tenants, the authorities are thinking about profit, and the transfer of land to the national park is a common forcible takeover.

It is known that "money does not stink" for Belarusian officials. The authorities press invitations on harmful Chinese enterprises, build an unsafe NPP (its fuel will be stored on our land), hand out hunting areas to Arab sheikhs and Russian oligarchs. Why are natural goods just an income item for our authorities?

Charter97.org asked the participant of the environmental protest from Svetlahorsk, Alena Maslyukova and economist Leu Marholin for comments.

Leu Marholin: Belarus may impose a tax on mushrooms and berries

- How do I feel about the situation with Chervonoye Lake? Officials will be fishing, and ordinary people will pay much money for it. I'd like you to mention that in Belarus more or less valuable things belong to Lukashenka's Administration, which is able to make money out of thin air. This is the paradox. What have they to do with natural areas, reserved forests and national parks?

I think that one can soon pick mushrooms and berries only with a license or a special permission. And it will be mandatory to carry it with you. And every amateur of low-key hunting will be stopped and checked for documents. Everything is very simple: the authorities seek new opportunities to collect money from people, economist Leu Marholin states.

- The Belarusian authorities handed out lands to both Arab sheikhs and Russian oligarchs. Is it legal?

- In a normal country this practice is simply impossible. Nobody gives away lands with an open hand, but the law works; the rule of law is the thing that matters most.

Let's look at the legislation: if a land can be bought and leased - you're welcome. Let Arab sheikhs buy it. But conditions must be equal for everyone. By the way, many countries have more favourable conditions for purchasing and leasing lands for their citizens.

It makes absolutely no sense to even discuss it in our situation. After all, the same happens in all spheres, not only in the environmental sphere. The authorities pursue "my way or the highway" principle.

- Why have our forests, lakes, rivers, which belong to every Belarusian, turned into another income item of officials?

- Lukashenka, who alone makes all decisions, decided to control the sector. And the district and regional nomenclature, officials, behave like temporary employees.

To some extent it is understandable, as the position of an official is very adventurous in Belarus. Today you are at large - tomorrow you're in jail. Therefore, the authorities behave primitively: if one gets a position, one should grab unless jailed.

If we had had a developed self-government and real elections, officials would have felt responsible.

Alena Maslyukova: What right does Lukashenka's Administration have to use these lands?

- I absolutely don't like events involving Chervonoye Lake . Officials must realize that they are also citizens of this country. They're regular managers, and we're their immediate employers. Belarusians pay them salaries.

The authorities have no right to fatten and parasite on this lake. If the locals have concluded contracts, let them use these lakes. What right does Lukashenka's Administration have to nose into it?

They will capture everything soon: lands, air. They will take it away and sell. You know, this situation is completely absurd. I am fully supportive of the people who stood for the lake," Alena Maslyukova, one of participants in the environmental protest in Svetlahorsk, says.

- Pripyatsky National Park, which is going to take control of the lake, makes good profit from hunting and fishing enthusiasts. Do you think the story with Chervonoye Lake is a common desire of officials to profit from it?

- Yes, of course. You do realize that everything will be used by "His Majesty" and the cohort of his companions.

What kind of Belarusian can afford such a vacation? I am not ready to spend 800 euros for a weekend hunting. And I do not know such Belaruians. There are officials who raise good money. Everyone knows that it's done for them.

- As well as for Lukashenka's foreign friends...

- I'm not against foreign tourists from the Arab Emirates, from Russia. Belarusians are very hospitable people. But let them come here not as masters, but as guests. Not owners. They can arrive, have a rest, bring money. But who did authorize officials to sell out our lands and property? I am completely against it.

- Why does our nomenclature have such a consumer attitude to natural resources? It feels like they're just not going to live here.

- I guess that Aliaksandr Ryhoravich and his company should answer this question.

I will cite Svetlahorsk as an example. The authorities built a bleached pulp mill, which is initially worthless, and now every day they try to start it, poison people, pollute the Berezina River.

Imagine, the mill is full of timber now. It does not work, the forest is rotting. What have our officials come up with? They decided to just burn down the timber. Why did they invest money, cut down our Belarusian trees?

Mismanagement and I-couldn't-care-less attitude to original goods are common here.

The same can be said about the Belarusian NPP. The authorities have only dollars before their eyes.

It is time for the Belarusians to bring officials to justice. If you waste our money, bury millions and billions of dollars in the ground, you must be liable. Answer in law. But what do we have? If you're an official, the law doesn't apply to you.

Answering your question, I'd like to say that our authorities are not going to live here. God forbid something happens, officials will be the first to pack their bags and leave. They do not own this land. They are not the authorities, but henchmen who came here and raise millions. It's time to get over with this.