Belarus

Why trade or invest in Belarus?

Belarusian high-ranking officials have been honored with first class medals for their contribution to the creation of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).  The Belarusian Government has approved wide-ranging legislation regarding Belarus trade and corporate activity. Some of the main areas covered include:

• investment
• Free Economic Zones
• monopolies
• import and Export control
• health and safety

Legislation in Belarus gives Free Economic Zones tax exemptions and special privileges.  Belarus has a well-developed industrial sector, which accounts for around 26,9% of the country’s GDP (2014). Some of its main industries are:

• tractors and agricultural equipment (Belarusian tractors are well regarded throughout the region)
• automotive industry (including dump trucks and earth movers)
• electrical equipment and household appliances
• radio electronics
• chemicals
• textiles
• timber

Free economic zones in Belarus.  Each region of Belarus has a free economic zone.

• Brest (1996)
• Gomel-Raton (1998)
• Minsk (1998)
• Vitebsk (1999)
• Mogilev (2002)
• Grodnoinvest (2002)

Businesses operating in these zones enjoy a range of benefits including:

• zero-rate tax on profit for a period of 5 years from the moment of declaring profit; afterwards the tax is calculated at the rate reduced by 50%;
• 50% discount on VAT on the products included in the list of import-substitution goods and sold in the territory of the Republic of Belarus;
• zero property tax on buildings located on the territory of the free economic zones.

Belarus is currently working on a special economic zone  – the China-Belarus industrial park Great Stone. It will feature industrial and logistics zones, residential and office buildings, financial and R&D centers. In accordance with the presidential decree, the industrial park will enjoy tax and customs privileges, other preferences and favorable conditions for doing business.

Belarus has anti-monopoly legislation in place, and complies with international anti-monopoly policy.

Some particularities of the Polish legal system you should know

The National Centre of the Legal Information (NCLI) is the state institute that publishes the official legal documentation of the Republic of Belarus, both in print and electronically. According to the Decree of the President, entitled “About the order of distribution of the legal information in the Republic of Belarus”, the activity of distribution of the legal information is rigidly regulated and supervised. All commercial publishing houses and private firms that publish and distribute commercial legal databases must have а license and publish information obtained only from official sources.

Health and safety in Belarus is covered by two main areas of legislation:

• law protecting the population’s sanitary and epidemic wellbeing
• law preventing disablement and safeguarding the rehabilitation of disabled people

Penalties for breaking these laws can be high, though for most international companies in Belarus the health and safety policy of the foreign partner or owner as implemented by its Belarusian entity will offer more than adequate provision. 

International cooperation of the Republic of Belarus with foreign countries is carried out on the basis of international treaties concluded by the Republic of Belarus. The most important agreements in the sphere of economic activity are those agreements on avoidance of double taxation, on protection of investments and on international carriage of goods and others.

Whom we work for

A-Law Belarus desk has been providing legal support to clients in different areas, such as real estate issues, corporate and civil (family) law, traffic law, migration law, liability law and debts recovery (bankruptcy, administrative fines).  Furthermore A-Law expert lawyers have been providing legal support to Belarus firms establishing or acquiring (M&A) companies in Europe, Latin America and Africa.

An in-depth approach of the different legal aspects of cross border cooperation and trade, commercial agency, distribution and franchising of a wide variety of products exported from or imported into Belarus, have been assessed through A-Law dedicated team.