January 24, 2005

Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus of January 14, 2005 No. 2 On Improving the Work with the Population provides that a book of suggestions and rebukes shall be conducted by every state body and other organization including individual entrepreneurs. The book is a document issued and registered in the taxation body, all rebukes and suggestions about the activity of the organization or individual entrepreneur are made into the book. The organization or an entrepreneur shall give the book when it is requested and shall condition all suggestions and rebukes during 15 days and take appropriate measures. Whenever the suggestion or rebuke is answered, a relevant note is made in the book.

Decision of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus of January 14, 2005 No. 36 On Some Matters of Calculation of the Tax on Incomes of Foreign Legal Persons and Introducing Amendments and Alterations to the Decision of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus of May 12, 2004 No. 551, in particular, establishes the reductions made at calculation of the tax on incomes of foreign legal persons not carrying out their activity in the Republic of Belarus though permanent representation. The Decision provides the activity and the reductions made from the general sums of income that are the losses borne by the foreign legal person in connection with this activity. The losses shall be proved by relevant documents.

Decision of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus of January 17, 2005 No. 44 brings in changes into the Decision of the Council of Ministers of January 21, 2003 No. 63 approving the excise rates under excisable goods. In accordance with the changes the appendixes 2 and 3 (Temporal Excise Rates for Alcohol and Tobacco Goods Exported to the CIS Member States and Temporal Excise Rates for the Excisable Oil Materials Exported to the CIS Member States) to the Decision No. 63 are abolished.

Decision of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus of December 27, 2004 No. 190 brings in alterations and amendments to the Rules of Conducting the Currency Transactions approved by the Decision of the National Bank of April 30, 2004 No. 72. In particular, in accordance with the changes it is possible to change the obligations expressed in one foreign currency into another foreign currency when conducting transactions between the residents or between the residents and non-residents. The Decision also enumerates the transactions possible under the deposit account of a natural person in a foreign currency and provides the possibility and terms for opening accounts in foreign currency and in Belarusian rubles by the residents in foreign banks (cases when the permit of the National Bank is needed and not needed, or when the National Bank is just notified).