The decree is an important step in the fight against corruption, a key link in the system of anti-corruption legislation, said Sergei Rakhmanov, Chairman of the Standing Committee for Foreign Affairs and National Security of the Council of the Republic.
Combating corruption at all levels must be resolute and uncompromising, Prosecutor General Aleksandr Konyuk said when presenting the document in the upper house of parliament. About 2,000 corruption-related crimes are registered in Belarus every year, about 1,000 officials are brought to account. Bribery, embezzlement, abuse of office are still common crimes in the country.
The document has been issued to increase the liability for corruption crimes, Prosecutor General Aleksandr Konyuk reiterated. In accordance with the decree, individuals convicted of corruption offences shall not be eligible for release on parole and commutation to a more lenient sentence.
The senators also took note of Decree No. 2 which toughens anti-tobacco laws in Belarus. The main goal is to consistently limit access to tobacco products, electronic smoking systems, e-liquids, heat-not-burn tobacco products. This, in turn, will help prevent the negative effects of smoking on the health of present and future generations, create the conditions for the protection of citizens' health from exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.
Written by minsk-region.gov.by