MOT Test: New ‘Rip-off’ Being Developed?

Everything profitable for Belarusians is a direct loss for Lukashenka.

It became known that the Ministry of Finance of Belarus was preparing a new draft decree on the collection of road tax. Minister Maksim Yermalovich even hinted that the road tax might be unbound from the MOT test, but "another control system" would be introduced.

Meanwhile, Belarusian motorists heard promises to unbind the road tax from the test a year ago. Then it was even reported that the draft decree was lying on Lukashenka's desk, but was not signed. Another promise to "untie" the tax from the inspection followed before New Year but was also not fulfilled.

What should the Belarusians expect this time? Blogger and activist of the European Belarus civil campaign Andrei Voinich answers the questions of Charter97.org.

- The authorities have repeatedly promised to untie road tax from the MOT test. Why does this topic arise again and again? Won't the story with the test become a recurring "fairy tale about the white bull"?

- I think the authorities try to conserve the source of income in the form of a reliable rip-off of the population. Every move they make and will make in this direction aims only to extract as much money from motorists and, consequently, from organizations and individuals who use transport as possible.

Because there is no money in the country. Secondly, they do not want to lose the source of income at the macro level.

- The other day, traffic police reported that the number of driving Belarusians without the MOT test hit the ceiling. Can we consider this spontaneous campaign as one of the successful examples to boycott the "policy" of the authorities?

- Yes, we can. It is not only a boycott but also a profitability issue. People believe that it is much more profitable to pay three or four fines than to pay for the test. Its cost is inadequate. Not every person who drives can afford it. Accordingly, people thought it would be better to pay fines. This is the first factor.

The second is the boycott. The wealthy part of the population that drives is the protesting segment against the financial arbitrariness of the authorities.

- We have recently observed how Lukashenka swore that salaries in the public sector wouldn't decrease after the New Year. Just the opposite happened: people received payslips with smaller amounts. Can such a "surprise" await drivers? Why do social innovations always turn into a "bird in the pocket"?

- First, it was predictable. Whatever Lukashenka says, whenever he says it, it will always be just the opposite. If he says that there will be no increase in the cost of public services, it will happen.

As soon as he told that salaries of public employees would be recalculated according to some new system, it became clear that this system would take money away from the people. Everything profitable for Belarusians is direct financial losses for Lukashenka.

Given the fact that our country has no money, the budget is empty, Russia's handouts have stopped, the West is not giving money, as well as China, as they have enough internal problems, he is looking for ways to replenish its treasury at our expense. Once again, our income means direct losses for him.

- The statement of the Ministry of Finance was made after the failure of Lukashenka's talks on oil and gas prices in Sochi. Economists believe that the authorities will try to compensate for the increase in the cost of energy resources at the expense of Belarusians. Do you agree with this opinion?

- Partially, yes, because they do not know any other way. We know what kind of an economist Lukashenka is. He has no other option but to get into someone else's pocket. We have practically no profitable state enterprises. They stay afloat because of subsidies. He has either counted Russia's or China's money, or the EU's one. He also lived at the expense of the World Health Organization or us.

We suffered the most because we stay close and keep silent. We do not protest against it and tolerate it. He's used to it, he can't act another way. In that sense, he's a tram that can't turn right or left. He's got tracks on which he'll ride until he faces the wall.

- What do ordinary citizens think about fuel and consumer goods price growth?

- People are outraged. They think it's robbery. They don't understand why, because we work, make money, but we lack it. Accordingly, people understand that this is one way to count their money. Moreover, we all see Lukashenka constantly speaking out and saying that "one should regulate the price of buckwheat" or something else.

As for the increase in fuel prices, now Lukashenka can blame Russia. Given these words, people understand that our fuel is expensive. People know that this is robbery and they take it negatively.

- Your advice to the dissatisfied. How to stop this robbery?

- I will keep my piece of advice. Only mass protests can we stop it. No night talks in kitchens, no Internet trolling, only open protests and open indignation can work.

Lukashenka already knows that no one likes him. We must speak it out. We shouldn't be silent.

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