Belarus specifies rules for receiving foreign gratuitous aid

The document was passed in line with Ordinance No. 3 “On foreign gratuitous aid”. In line with the resolution, aid should be received in line with an agreement, an endowment letter confirmed by the recipient, a request confirmed by the sender, another document containing information about the amount (sum, quantity), terms of providing aid and terms of utilizing it, or a document confirming the crediting of aid of a foreign anonymous donor to the donation account. Paperwork can be done in paper or in an electronic form.

Legal entities and individual entrepreneurs have the right to address the Humanitarian Affairs Department of the Belarus President Property Management Directorate to register aid before its arrival in Belarus. This pertains to medicines, goods requiring special storage conditions, perishable goods, as well as products needed for emergency response, and other products, excluding medical products and medical equipment. It is necessary to present a petition of a respective authority requesting the exemption of this aid from taxes and duties (dues).

The resolution determines the order of conducting an analysis of expectable economic and social benefits from using such aid. It also spells out measures to prevent and minimize negative consequences of abuse of such aid. The document also specifies the produce of exchanging information on receiving and using this aid.

The resolution came into force on 27 August.