Report of Chairman of State Control Committee Leonid Anfimov
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It is essential to get rid of
unfounded inspections of businesses, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said when he heard out a report of Chairman of the State Control
Committee Leonid Anfimov on the draft decree “Concerning measures to improve
control (audit) activities” on 22 September.
“We have discussed and agreed that we will replace a punitive focus of our audit activities with a preventive one. We will concentrate on the prevention of wrongdoings, eliminate scheduled checks (although you will still do them because a schedule is a schedule), focus on selective checks. I have always said that you can check whoever you want if there is a good reason to visit an enterprise, a businessman, an individual or a legal entity. If you have such reasons, please conduct your inspections,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
However, if representatives of audit agencies conduct inspections without a good reason, they must be responsible for it. “Otherwise, they will be able to devise any reasons, and if there are no facts, no one will be responsible. In my opinion, this legal act does not make an emphasis on this issue. Pay attention to it. There should not be any loopholes,” the president stressed.
In his words, it is also essential to reduce the number of reasons for unscheduled checks. “There should be clear-cut instructions and conditions for such inspections,” the head of state said.
Aleksandr Lukashenko pointed out the fact that, in accordance with the existing legislation, enterprises are inspected using the materials of law enforcement bodies without a criminal case. It is inadmissible, the president stressed. “You should inspect if there is a criminal case. Then it will be also possible to monitor the work of law enforcement bodies and auditors,” he said.
The head of state believes that workers of audit bodies should be also responsible for serious violations during inspections. “A provision on such responsibility should be included in this legal act. Maybe, this will be the first step in this direction, but they should feel their responsibility. Of course, we should not overreact because we will risk to take the wind out of the auditors’ sails. But all involved persons should be responsible, including auditors,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
The participants of the meeting also discussed the system of departmental control. There president asked what measures will be taken in this field. “I want you to inform me about the progress in this field so that I could make a decision. I mean to sign or not to sign the document. But I reiterate: as an auditor, a civil servant you should eliminate all excessive things, even those that are not on the surface right now. You should not “liberalize” to the point when we will lose control in the state. Balance is a priority,” the Belarusian leader concluded.
At the meeting Leonid Anfimov also told the president about his visit to the Slobodka secondary school in Braslav District on Knowledge Day, 1 September.
When he presented Belarus is Our Motherland books to first-year students, one girl asked if he was Aleksandr Lukashenko. He said that he was not. Then the girl asked to say hi to the president. “Of course, I fulfill my promise and convey greetings and gratitude to you not only from the first-graders of that school but also from all the students,” the chairman of the State Control Committee said.
“Perhaps, that girl will grow up and become a good auditor in the country,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said jokingly.
“Why not? You know, I did not expect that from her. It was so genuine. Of course, she did not prepare for it. She said it with all her heart,” Leonid Anfimov stressed.
“We have discussed and agreed that we will replace a punitive focus of our audit activities with a preventive one. We will concentrate on the prevention of wrongdoings, eliminate scheduled checks (although you will still do them because a schedule is a schedule), focus on selective checks. I have always said that you can check whoever you want if there is a good reason to visit an enterprise, a businessman, an individual or a legal entity. If you have such reasons, please conduct your inspections,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
However, if representatives of audit agencies conduct inspections without a good reason, they must be responsible for it. “Otherwise, they will be able to devise any reasons, and if there are no facts, no one will be responsible. In my opinion, this legal act does not make an emphasis on this issue. Pay attention to it. There should not be any loopholes,” the president stressed.
In his words, it is also essential to reduce the number of reasons for unscheduled checks. “There should be clear-cut instructions and conditions for such inspections,” the head of state said.
Aleksandr Lukashenko pointed out the fact that, in accordance with the existing legislation, enterprises are inspected using the materials of law enforcement bodies without a criminal case. It is inadmissible, the president stressed. “You should inspect if there is a criminal case. Then it will be also possible to monitor the work of law enforcement bodies and auditors,” he said.
The head of state believes that workers of audit bodies should be also responsible for serious violations during inspections. “A provision on such responsibility should be included in this legal act. Maybe, this will be the first step in this direction, but they should feel their responsibility. Of course, we should not overreact because we will risk to take the wind out of the auditors’ sails. But all involved persons should be responsible, including auditors,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
The participants of the meeting also discussed the system of departmental control. There president asked what measures will be taken in this field. “I want you to inform me about the progress in this field so that I could make a decision. I mean to sign or not to sign the document. But I reiterate: as an auditor, a civil servant you should eliminate all excessive things, even those that are not on the surface right now. You should not “liberalize” to the point when we will lose control in the state. Balance is a priority,” the Belarusian leader concluded.
At the meeting Leonid Anfimov also told the president about his visit to the Slobodka secondary school in Braslav District on Knowledge Day, 1 September.
When he presented Belarus is Our Motherland books to first-year students, one girl asked if he was Aleksandr Lukashenko. He said that he was not. Then the girl asked to say hi to the president. “Of course, I fulfill my promise and convey greetings and gratitude to you not only from the first-graders of that school but also from all the students,” the chairman of the State Control Committee said.
“Perhaps, that girl will grow up and become a good auditor in the country,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said jokingly.
“Why not? You know, I did not expect that from her. It was so genuine. Of course, she did not prepare for it. She said it with all her heart,” Leonid Anfimov stressed.