Recommendations and Reference Information of the Department of Humanitarian Activities of the Presidential Poperty Management Office

(based on information of the Department of Humanitarian Activities

of the Property Management Office of the President of the Republic of Belarus)

Pursuant to Article 1 of the Ordinance of the President of the Republic of Belarus of 28 November 2003 No. 24 “On receipt and use of foreign gratuitous aid”, the foreign gratuitous aid includes money and goods that are put at the disposal (for free use or ownership) of Belarusian organisations and nationals by foreign countries, international organisations, foreign organisations and citizens as well as by stateless persons and anonymous donors. The foreign gratuitous aid covers interest-free loans.

The foreign gratuitous aid does not include (provided it is confirmed by documents):

·        Funds directed by the citizens of the Republic of Belarus who live abroad;

·        Alimony, salary, insurance compensation, entitlement payments, scholarships and bonuses received as a result of one’s participation in various competitions, inheritance payments.

The foreign gratuitous aid is due to be registered by the Department of Humanitarian Activities of the Presidential Property Management Department.

A recipient is held responsible to prove the origin of funds. Cash imported into the Republic of Belarus as foreign gratuitous aid is subject to mandatory customs declaration in writing.

Foreign gratuitous aid in the form of money or goods worth less than 30 Base Values (over 380 US dollars, as for March 2005) is due to be registered by the Department of Humanitarian Activities of the Presidential Property Management Office without having to prepare a registration certificate for foreign gratuitous aid.

Foreign gratuitous aid in the form of money worth more than 30 Base Values (over 380 US dollars, as for March 2005) is due to be registered by the Department of Humanitarian Activities of the Presidential Property Management Office and transferred to a charitable account in a Belarusian bank.

Foreign gratuitous aid in the form of goods worth more than 30 Base Values (over 380 US dollars, as for March 2005) is due to be registered by the Department of Humanitarian Activities of the Presidential Property Management Office.

The document used to show that foreign gratuitous aid is registered is a Department-issued certificate.

The use of foreign gratuitous aid is forbidden before the certificate has been granted. The infringement causes a penalty worth from 50 to 100 Base Values

After receiving the certificate, the recipient is entitled to withdraw funds from the charitable account and earmark them for the purposes he or she has designated in a specified document.

For enquiries, please call (375 17) 222 70 31, 222 70 22, 222 70 29.

Import Regulations

The Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the State Quarantine Inspectorate through their regulations control the import and use of medicines and food.

With a view to facilitate and expedite humanitarian aid via the border of the Republic of Belarus, the State Customs Committee has developed regulations (techniques of cooperation), showing the order and priority for customs, border, sanitary and quarantine, veterinary, phytosanitary, automobile, and other controls. The regulations are translated into German and English and available at any Ńustoms Office.

To have the humanitarian aid cross the border of the Republic of Belarus with no guarantee fees paid, a Belarusian recipient should know in advance (at least 7 days beforehand) the date, location of the border crossing, plate numbers of vehicles, contents of cargo for lodging a timely application with the Department to prevent its standstill at the border.

Exemption from Customs Duties and Taxes

Pursuant to Article 3 of the Ordinance of the President of the Republic of Belarus of 28 November 2003 No. 24 “On receipt and use of foreign gratuitous aid”, the foreign gratuitous aid registered by the Department of Humanitarian Activities of the Presidential Property Management Office and directed for the purposes of legislation is exempt of customs duties, customs registration fees, VAT, excises, profit and income taxes, as the Presidential Property Management Office agrees with the President of the Republic of Belarus.

A Foreign Partner should comply with the Following Procedures for Preliminary Exemption of Goods from Customs Duties and Taxes:

1.     Three weeks prior to the goods dispatch, a Belarusian partner shall be provided with a list of goods, indicating their exact weight, value, and destination that will enable him or her to lodge an application with the Department for exempting the goods from customs duties and taxes. Only a Belarusian organisation is entitled to apply for exemption. Early and timely notification ensures that people accompanying humanitarian aid will participate in its distribution upon arrival to Belarus.

2.     To ensure total compliance of specifications with the goods contents. In case of non-compliance of the actual goods with those declared and exempted from customs duties and taxes, the Belarusian recipient should redo the exemption for excessive goods by re-submitting necessary documents to the Department, thus, the paperwork delayed significantly.

3.     The notification of humanitarian goods should include the following information:

·        Description of humanitarian goods: weight, name, quantity, type of packaging, expiry dates, manufacturer’s name (if necessary), estimated value. One should pay attention to the expiry date of foodstuffs (not less than 6 months), medicines (not less than 1 year), medical equipment (not older than 5 years);

·        Belarusian Recipient (information about the organisation or citizen to receive humanitarian goods);

·        Estimated date, time, and location of the state border crossing;

·        Information about the driver delivering humanitarian cargo (name, date of birth, passport details, citizenship);

·        A letter should specify the goods nature, i.e. foreign gratuitous aid;

·        Registered parcels should, without fail, contain the addressee’s name, address, and the list of goods. The list of addressees shall be sent to the recipient in Belarus in advance. The addressees of the parcels mentioned above could be only disadvantaged citizens, families with many children, disabled people, people residing in affected areas, children who had recuperation abroad and other socially unprotected citizens.

In case goods are assigned to more than one addressee, the documents may indicate only one person (as a rule, the one with a larger share of the goods). At the same time, a letter should be written to the name of this recipient, indicating other goods recipients (other organisations). Otherwise, a separate list of goods could be made up for each recipient indicating value and quantity of goods and translated into Russian to be submitted to the custom authorities, in which case all recipients must be present as each of them does his own paperwork both at the customs offices and the Department.

Road Dues

Foreign vehicle owners and drivers delivering foreign gratuitous aid are exempt of public roads dues in the Republic of Belarus, the grounds for such exemption being documents for foreign gratuitous aid in the form of goods.

Hotel Accomodation

Persons delivering or accompanying foreign gratuitous aid, heads of foreign charities coming to the Republic of Belarus to negotiate the delivery of foreign gratuitous aid, are entitled to hotel accommodation at the price set for Belarusian citizens on the production of shipping documentation or a request of the Department of Humanitarian Activities of the Presidential Property Management Office, obtained by the Belarusian recipient of aid.

Free Visas

Free visas are granted to the representatives of foreign charities after a relevant application is lodged by a Belarusian recipient. The Belarusian partner shall confirm the humanitarian nature of the foreign citizen’s visit.

We draw your attention to the following:

·        Only a Belarusian partner is entitled to settle all issues (applying for free visas, receiving clearance for priority crossing the border, for goods exemption from customs dues, for import of medicines and foodstuffs) with the Department and other state bodies;

·        The procedure of exemption of foreign gratuitous aid can take place after it has arrived in the Republic of Belarus;

·        Foreign gratuitous aid is used for eliminating natural and man-caused emergencies, R & D, education, fulfilment of research programmes, restoration and creation of historical and cultural heritage, development of nature protection preserves, medical care, social protection of disadvantaged and socially unprotected citizens, and other purposes determined by the Presidential Property Management Office, as agreed with the President of the Republic of Belarus.