Meeting of the PAC under the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Belarus

Deputy Chairman of the Association of European Business Maria Karas took part in a meeting of the public advisory council under the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Belarus. During the meeting, the members of the council considered the proposal of the Ministry of Economy to introduce a rating system for business unions and associations in order to intensify their activities within the framework of public advisory councils and increase their socio-economic significance. Based on the results of consideration of the issue in the framework of a face-to-face discussion, the members of the council pointed out the discrepancy between the specified goal and the means established in the concept and draft methodology.

In order to stimulate the involvement of business associations and improve the efficiency of the PACs, it is necessary to amend the Model Regulations on the Public Advisory (Expert) Council for the Development of Entrepreneurship, approved by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated 20.03.2012 No. 247 in terms of improving the procedure for the formation of councils by eliminating the possibility of membership in them of representatives of single companies, thereby increasing the role of business associations, defining clear criteria for assigning the status of a member of the PAC, which will increase the transparency of the procedure and the creation of a mechanism for forming the composition of councils independent of the decision of a particular state body or official.

In order to increase the transparency of the procedure for expelling a member from the PAC, it is necessary to prescribe the procedure for its implementation, in particular, providing for a mandatory written notification of the organization on the grounds for its exclusion from the council, with a deadline for appealing this decision to the department under which the council was created and the Ministry of Economy of the Republic Belarus, as the supervising body of the OKS system.