“Will for Development” Wins “TACIS Case”

13.07.2004.

www.belngo.info

On 12 July Hrodna Regional Civil Court satisfied the suit of the public association “Will for Development” against the decision of Slonim Town Tax Inspection to exact from the organization 15 million rubles tax from the means, received within the limits of the TACIS technical aid program. Judge Aleh Kadach set aside the decision of the tax inspection and obliged it to compensate the court expenses. To his decision he attached the verdict on analogous case of the public association “Belarusian Helsinki Committee”.

-- It seems to me that the court was guided by the same arguments that were in the BHC case, -- said the lawyer of the Executive Bureau of the Assembly of NGO in Belarus Yury Chavusaw, who represented the interests of the organization at the trial.

On the other hand, Chavusaw admits that the influence of the European Commission really helped to solve the conflict concerning TACIS grants to Belarusian public organizations.
-- Thanks to the European Commission courts had to take the side of BHC and “Will for Development”, -- believes Chavusaw.

Nevertheless, Slonim tax inspection intends to file a cassation complaint against the decision of Hrodna Regional Economic Court. The cassation complaint against the verdict on BHC case has been already filed.

Aliona Andreyeva