Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Pavel Latushko, Aleś Alaсhnovič and Franak Viacorka discussed the problems of Belarusian business with the Polish Minister of Finance
The meeting was attended by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and by Pavel Latushko, Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet, Aleś Alaсhnovič, Mrs Tsikhanouskaya’s Economic advisor, and Franak Viacorka, Mrs Tsikhanouskaya’s Chief advisor.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked Minister Magdalena Rzeczkowska for her support of Belarusian business, and noted the importance of expanding such projects as the Polish Business Harbour, which gave a number of companies and IT-sector specialists opportunities, who feel their security is at risk, to relocate to Poland. Pavel Latushko suggested expanding the program also to small and medium-sized companies, not only from the IT sector.
Mrs Tsikhanouskaya also said that even in Poland, Belarusian entrepreneurs face problems with legalization, relocation from Belarus of their business, employees and their families and opening bank accounts. Today, only two Polish banks — PKO BP and Santander — open accounts for Belarusian citizens and companies with Belarusian capital without unnecessary obstacles. There are other examples of discrimination (for example, in access to financing or participation in open business competitions), because some banks and organizations refuse to cooperate with companies with Belarusian roots.
Aleś Alaсhnovič, Mrs Tsikhanouskaya’s economic advisor and one of the heads of the Association of Belarusian Business Abroad (ABBA), told the minister about the initiative of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s economic team and ABBA to create a guarantee fund for Belarusian companies in the European Union, which is being discussed with the European Commission and the Polish financial sector, and suggested that the minister support the idea. Aleś Alaсhnovič also spoke about the importance of the verification process of the Belarusian business, so as to separate honest private businesses from the companies that support the regime and the war, helping to bypass sanctions. In turn, Pavel Latushko suggested the minister prepare an information note for the Polish institutions, explaining the sanctions policy in order to minimize cases of groundless discrimination against Belarusians.
The parties agreed to create a working group to support Belarusian business with participation of the Belarusian side, Polish Ministry of Finance, Polish Ministry of Economic Development and other Polish organizations to address the most important issues of Belarusian business in Poland. They also agreed to create an information booklet in the Belarusian language about the business climate in Poland, conditions of registration and doing business in Poland, including the taxation system. Making it easier for Belarusian businesses to relocate to Poland will be an additional protection for them against political persecution by the regime.