Belarusians’ tax money squandered on smartphones for officials

• 16.07.2014, 14:17

Instead renovation of hospitals, another regional executive committee buys a large lot of mobile phones.

Charter97.org has learnt that the chief administration of justice of Homel regional executive committee buys 196 mobile phones worth a total of Br 496 million, that is, more than $48,000. The purchase will be made due to “own funds”, or in simplest terms, thanks to the taxes of Belarusians.

The most remarkable thing is that Homel officials are not the first ones who carry out a bulk purchase of expensive mobile phones. Earlier the website (informed) that Vitsebsk regional executive committee urgently needed mobile phones worth a total of Br86,000, while subordinates of the governor of Brest region Kanstantsin Sumar buy smartphones (with the total cost of Br835 mln). Thus, $215,000 has already been spent on all-inclusive “mobilization” of officials, and it is not clear how much is to be spent additionally. But this money could have been spent on renovation of hospitals, or to many other useful things.