MINSK, 19 August (BelTA) – Entrepreneurs should pay adequate wages to employees rather than devise ways to line up their own pockets, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he met with Taxes and Duties Minister Sergei Nalivaiko and Chairman of the State Control Committee Vasily Gerasimov, BelTA has learned.
“You can't line up your own pockets while people working for you struggle financially. Ahead of the election, I suggested setting the minimum average salary and formalizing it for business, private entities. They can pay more but never below the average salary. Business strongly opposed the idea unwilling to give the money. But these are the people who work for you, who bring you money. Roughly speaking, you cannot pay 10% to your workers and pocket the remaining 90%. No one needs such a business," the head of state said.
In this regard, he cited China's policy as an example. "The Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping, said that the rich should help the poor. It is about sharing: you have earned a lot, then help the poor. The goal is a middle-class society. They announced this thesis recently. The Chinese are a wise nation, a richest country. Meanwhile, we have always pursued this policy: if you make good money, you should pay people who work for you well and pay taxes," Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
