Q What is the current statistic about the number of tourists in Minsk?
A Sorry, we do not have statistics
on the number of tourists in Minsk. You may try your luck at the
President's web site for the links to the Ministry of Statistics
and to the Ministry of Sports and Tourism.
Q How
many tourists visited Germany in 2001?
A Sorry, do not remeber having
seen such figures. You may try your luck at the
President's web site for the links to the Ministry of Statistics
and to the Ministry of Sports and Tourism.
Q How many
hotel are there in Minsk currently?
A Right from the memory I can
count more then 15 hotels in Minsk. Three of them are rated as 3
star hotels. From my own understanding three more hotels provide
the same level of services but are not rated.
Q Is there
any transit hotel in Minsk (means that the hotel accept payment per
hour, not per
night)?
A There are no transit hotels
in Minsk to the best of my knowledge..
Q Has the
government privatize any tourism industry? Such as: hotel, road infrastructure,
transportation company, and banking.
A Industry ownership.
1. All forms of ownership are present. Some of the hotels are owned
by the Minsk city council, some of the hotels are owned by joint
stock travel companies (BelTourist, former Belarusian branch of
Intourist, is an example). I know only one hotel owned by a foreign
company. It is a small but comfortable German hotel Ursula.
Note: It looks as if hotels are quite independent in running their
business even if they are owned by the state.
2. There are no private roads in Belarus. But there are some fees
for using certain roads by foreigners and transit transport.
3. Railway transport and infrastructure are owned by the state.
The airports and the main air carrier Belavia are owned by the state.
We are not sure about privately owned air carriers, but if exist,
they are small and have no regular flights, may be some charter
flights. In country and public auto transportation do not make profits,
so they are owned and donated by the state. Private sector in in-country
passengers auto transportation is hardly noticeable. The number
of Belarusians traveling abroad from the other hand, is constantly
high, and this sector is dominated by small and medium private auto
carriers.
4. Banking. Formally, there are already no state owned banks, but
the state strictly controls this area. Frankly, this is a topic
for a separate research, but if to try to describe it in several
words, I'd have done it as follows:
4.1 Practically no personal banking services (in comparison to what
is available elsewhere in the civilized world)
4.2 No banking privacy. The state uses banks to monitor financial
activities of legal entities (Companies, organizations etc.) and
physical entities (private persons).
4.3 No foreign banks. Though there are a couple of exceptions. I
know one Latvian bank office hidden in a hotel suite, and one Russian
bank branch in a modern looking building. And I know that some businesses
use their services, but no idea what is the mechanic and what is
the catch.
Q Considering
the radiation of Chernobyl is it dangerous to travel to Minsk?
A Minsk was lucky to avoid
Chernobyl radiation cloud. This is clean area. As the environment
is concerned as a whole, I would not compare Minsk to Bonn, but
it is not worse then Frankfurt or London, and much better then Lisbon
or Moscow for example.
Q Considering
the crime in Minsk, is it dangerous to travel to Minsk?
A In general crime level is
higher then it used to be, though still lower then in major European
and American cities (I think so). As to practical terms, I'd say
that the chances to get into real trouble (to be physically hurt
for example) are practically negligible, but it is quite possible
to loose ones possessions if they are not thoroughly cared for.
Q About
labor wages, what kind of expenses that must be included in wages?
Should the company pay superannuation? Should the company be responsible
for the medical expenses caused by Chernobyl radiation?
A Again, one more subject for
a separate research, and again just general features. An employer
is to pay only wages (or salaries. Still confused, what's the difference).
All other benefits and bonuses are up to the agreement between the
employer and an employee. The employee's taxes should be deducted
by the employer and transferred to the tax authority.
Note: According to very business unfriendly, controversial and awkward
taxation, the total amount of taxes paid by a company heavily depends
on the labor costs, so employers try to minimize officially declared
wages and invent other options to reward their employees.
Q How
much is the average wages in there now, from unskilled people to highly
skilled people (if possible in USD)?
A In the considerations below
I assume the net amount an employee receives after deduction of
all applicable taxes and fees. And once more, this is my personal
assessment.
1. Official minimal salary is defined by the state. It is 2500 BR
per month for the time being (approximately $2.5). Has no practical
meaning and is being used only for calculations.
2. Unskilled labor. I'd say that a cleaning lady would be happy
to get $40-50 per month.
3. Office employees. For $100-150 per month you will find pretty
looking secretaries and young office clerks.
4. Specialists. A Good Chief accountant. The key figure for any
company (the more so in Belarus). Depending on the terms, on the
size of the company, at $300 will be looking for other opportunities,
can tolerate all the burdens of their uneasy life for $500, will
be happy at $600 per month. A good computer specialist or programmer
who still has to stay in the country will do the job for $250 -
300 per month, but it would not prevent him from looking around
for other options. If you really want to keep the guy, pay him $1000
or a bit more, and do not forget to provide training opportunities
and to send him for whatever business trip abroad from time to time.
Q What the
corruption in business now? very bad? Also I heard about organize
crime (mafia) involve in business industry. Is that true or not? How
far is their influence?
A 1.Corruption in business.
Exists, though its level is probably exaggerated. The hype in the
western mass media about corruption in Russia (more politically
motivated I think) does not apply to Belarus. Firstly, there are
no natural resources in Belarus as one of the sources of corruption.
Secondly, the business environment in Belarus was (and unfortunately
still is) so unfriendly in the course of the recent 5 to 6 years,
that there are no big and medium sized private businesses any more
as the other, probably not the source but the target of the large
scale corruption. Thirdly, it should be admitted, that under our
current president the circle of bureaucrats who can afford taking
bribes was significantly narrowed. And fourthly, the need for influx
of hard currency is so high, that all the governmental officials
at all public appearances sound (well, I would not say that they
are ready to pay to foreign investors for coming, but) very inviting
and promising very favorable conditions and protection.
2. Organized crime in business. Not in Belarus as far as I know.
The state with its law enforcing bodies closely watches that the
businesses have nothing left for other potential beneficiaries.
And even tough looking guys who seem to have controlled open markets
just several years ago are selling goods now side by side with former
engineers.
Q Who does
the mafia influence and in what way
A
Primary target for street mafia (I'd better have called it racket)
is small businesses and private entrepreneurs. I did not hear anything
fancy about the ways it influences the victims. Racketeers propose
to protect the target (They call it to provide the roof), or else...
Q In your opinion,
which is better for foreign investors, build their own business or
joint venture? (considering the tax)
A Frankly, I don't know. The
facts are: big names (Ford, Coca Cola, McDonalds) have their own
enterprises and do not enter into Joint Ventures. Smaller investors,
especially in the early 90th, were setting up joint ventures with
local partners. But it seems not many of them survived, and I know
some cases when joint ventures were transformed into representation
offices.
Q Do you have
any web address about Belarus that is upgraded every time (better
if you can give me government site)? Or is there any newspaper site
in English?
A Certainly. Just check up
our Info Guides.
Q Where
to look for information on Belarusian ancestry?
A Do not know much about it.
You might wish to try Belarus
National Archive as the first step.
Q What
is Belarusian flag?
A 
Q What is the average wage in Belarus?
A According to the Ministry Of Statistics the average salary in the first quarter of 2007 is 615500 BRB or approximately 288 USD. More information is available at the Ministry's web site at http://belstat.gov.by/homep/en/indicators/current1.php.