26 January, Grodno /Elena Stasyukevich - BELTA/. The State Control Committee of Belarus will relentlessly combat sham businesses. This was stated by the Chairman of the SCC, Alexander Yakobson, today in Grodno at a meeting with the regional leadership, control, law enforcement and judicial bodies, according to a BELTA correspondent. Alexander Yakobson noted that over the next five years, the country has set a course for the revitalisation of small and medium-sized businesses and the creation of a favourable investment climate, which is also facilitated by the adoption of Directive No. 4. In this regard, a significant increase in the number of business entities and the expansion of their activities are forecast, which will also lead to an increased workload for control bodies. At the same time, according to the head of the SCC, an increase in the number of sham businesses should also be expected. The State Control Committee must be prepared for this, and "relentless struggle will be waged" against such entities, Alexander Yakobson emphasised. Incidentally, recently, employees of the Financial Investigations Department for the Grodno region have uncovered a number of such entities registered to straw men by residents of Minsk and citizens of other countries. Investigative measures are underway. Given the new five-year plan's focus on innovation and investment, the SCC also faces tasks such as the application of new management practices and the implementation of more effective and less resource-intensive control methods. As for the supervised enterprises, attention should be paid to high import intensity and the causes of negative balances for enterprises engaged in foreign trade activities. For example, there are cases where expensive equipment imported from abroad has been standing uninstalled for several years, not generating revenue, Alexander Yakobson added. -0-

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