Updated at 17:53,27-03-2024

Economic Morality Code to Be Introduced in Belarus

"Charter-97"

The Code supposes an absolutely new model of the country’s development, which wil have no parallel in the world.

As Doctor of Economics Professor Valery Baineu from Belarusian State University says, the code is not just based on general criteria and fundamental rules. It also includes restriction of consumption for the officials and business to a level of an average citizen, "Yezhednevnik" reports.

"It is not enough for an official to pay taxes and have a peaceful rest. He doesn’t have a right to have life more luxurious than an average Belarusian. This is the only was to make officials and businessmen to take care of the country’s well-being," Baineu said introducing the draft Belarusian economic morality code.

According to the professor, whose idea drew attention of the President’s Administration, the code proposes to give an idea of market economy, which is "disconnecting and parasitizing".

"It was implanted on us by the West. It is rather old and out-of-date, but it still dominates," the professor says. In his view, the country should have a labour economic paradigm, the basis of our development.

In his opinion, the collapse of Belarusian economy is caused by two reasons, one of them being liberal market reforms. "The second reason for our enslavement is monetary," Baineu believes.

The professor says spreading western values serves as a basis for deideologization of the Belarusian society. According to him, the new Belarusian economic model should rely on three foundations. The first one is state power to serve people, not for money-grubbing. The second one is priority of duties above rights of the power. The third one is morality, not only judicial.

"Unfortunately, the free market economy fails to comply with these criteria. It is immoral per se. The Belarusian president said at a press conference to Russian journalists that an owner of private business would never be interested in people or the state. It means that he doesn’t care of nation reproduction," the professor added.

It yet difficult to say how the Belarusian leadership will regard the code. However, Baineu says the initiative met president’s understanding. Besides, Belarusian State University has already worked out mechanism of transition to the new economic model.

"We describe the initial steps in the recommendation. This is a resolute refusal of disintegrating western pseudo values through mass media: the cult of enrichment without labour, superiority of luxury, consumption, food, sex, etc. Put eastern Slavic moral values should be spread: love to motherland, service to own nation, respect for labour, collectivism, cooperation and mutual help, family, healthy lifestyle," the professor explained. In his view, the code as a basis of the Belarusian economic model should be adopted as soon as possibly, because "we are dying out, heroine addicts are among us".