On Thursday, it became known that Valery Tsepkala, one of the most famous media IT figures in Belarus, was relieved of the post of director public institution"Administration of the Hi-Tech Park". The corresponding order was signed by President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on March 2, the presidential press service reported.
It is noteworthy that the resignation took place the day after the publication in the British newspaper Financial Times of a report from the Belarusian Hi-Tech Park, in which the HTP was compared to the Google office.
The press service of the administration of the Hi-Tech Park told Sputnik that the news about the resignation of the head "we hear for the first time and it is from you that we hear, and this is a shock for us."
Career path: from diplomat to chief IT specialist
Valery Tsepkalo was born in 1965 in Grodno, graduated from the Belarusian Technological Institute and Moscow State Institute of International Relations, has a PhD in International Law, and the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.
Since 2005, Tsepkalo has been the head of the HTP administration. Prior to this position, he served as Assistant to the President of Belarus in the field of science and technology, was the Ambassador of Belarus to the United States from 1997-2002, before that he served as First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus.
Tsepkalo is the author of 80 articles on information technology and the global economy and 20 publications on e-government, high technology development and intellectual property. Published in Foreign Affairs, Journal of Commerce, Horizons, Washington Post, Frankfurter Allgemeine. Author of the book Dear Dragon economic development post-industrial countries of Southeast Asia and the book "The Code of Immortality".
What was the Belarusian IT miracle accused of?
In the recent past, representatives of the Hi-Tech Park have violently protested against the abolition of benefits for their employees income tax. As a result, the exemption was generally maintained, although the tax rate was increased by 1 percentage point.
Well-known Belarusian businessman Dmitry Gursky, director of Idionomiks and partner of the Haxus investment fund, whose projects include the well-known MSQRD, as well as the head of Belgazprombank, Viktor Babariko, expressed complaints about the work of the HTP and the IT industry as a whole.
The latter, by the way, generally noticed that "Belarus is turning into a community of high-tech vocational schools."
Gursky's claims were more justified. In particular, on his Facebook page, Gursky noted that benefits alone are no longer enough for the development of the industry. "We need a whole program of actions, but benefits will not give a big increase," the businessman emphasized.
He also draws attention to the fact that there are very few food companies in Belarus: "It's good that we were lucky with Wargaming - otherwise there would be nothing but a couple of small companies."
There were also reproaches that the return on HTP in Belarusian economy relatively low.
To this, Tsepkalo cited convincing statistics on the growth rate of the industry, the export of services and the fame of Belarusian developers in the world.
During its history, the HTP also had problems with some investors who were supposed to build administrative and industrial buildings in the park.
In 2016, the HTP approached a billion dollars in annual revenue. For 10 years export software Belarus grew more than 30 times. If in 2006 in terms of export of computer services per capita, Belarus was almost four times behind India and five times behind the USA, today the country is 1.5 times ahead of the United States in this indicator, India - 2 times, South Korea- 2.5 times. Belarus entered the top 10 countries in the region of Europe, Russia, the Middle East and Africa, which are the largest providers of services in the field of custom software development, and ranked second after Israel in terms of the share of development information technologies in GDP per capita.
Here is what Valery Tsepkalo himself said about the IT industry:
On this topic: “I had one joint that cost the company $8 million.” Oleg Khusaenov's conversation with businessmen“In a short time, an industry has been created in the country, which today largely forms the image of Belarus. This happens because we have a number of products that are in the most prestigious - consumer - segment of the market. That is, they are used by hundreds of millions of people around the world. This is a well-known messenger, game, application. All this made people talk about Belarus in Business Week, Bloomberg, Euronews, Reuters and other leading world media.
Graduate of MGIMO, Ambassador to the USA, the ideological inspirer of the future HTP
Valery Tsepkalo, a graduate of the Grodno secondary school No. 14 with in-depth study of the English language, entered MGIMO on the second attempt, and received an institute diploma with honors. After studying, he remained in graduate school, which he also graduated with excellent marks, taught, and became a candidate of legal sciences. The work of Valery Tsepkalo at the USSR Embassy in Finland fell on the difficult years of 1990-1991 - a period of collapse big country. In 1994 he was appointed First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus.
On this topic: Belarusians who tamed artificial intelligence. Seven Cool Hackathon Projects For the next five years, Valery Vilyamovich worked in America as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the United States and Mexico. It was there, in the USA, that Tsepkalo visited Silicon Valley and decided that something similar should be created in Belarus. In 2005, Valery Tsepkalo became the project manager for the creation of the Hi-Tech Park, starting a new business, essentially from scratch.
Over the years, under his leadership, a lot has been done to create favorable conditions for the development of information technologies in the country, as well as to concentrate human, scientific, investment and financial potential. “We started with the fact that we wanted to create a cluster: as a concentration of organizational, human, and, subsequently, financial efforts in one direction. This approach has already proven effective. Everyone knows Silicon Valley,” recalls Valery Tsepkalo in an interview.
On this topic: Post of the day. “If in the USA there were orders like in Belarus, or why we don’t have Apple” Tsepkalo is an expert of the UN Secretary-General on information security - a member of the Strategic Council of the UN Global Alliance for Information Technology and Development.
Recently, the former head of the Hi-Tech Park spoke about the conditions for doing business in Belarus: “I will say this: the general “feeling of guilt” greatly demotivates people and deprives them of moral satisfaction from the results of their work, pride in their work.”
Many believe that Valery Tsepkala could have been released because of the “underbillion”
earned HTP money, liberal statements in which former director The HTP proposed to remove illegal entrepreneurial activity.
Recently, the IT industry was criticized by the head of Belgazprombank Viktor Babariko, who noted that “Belarus is turning into a community of high-tech vocational schools”, and Dmitry Gursky, director of Idionomics and partner of the Haxus investment fund (among its projects is the well-known MSQRD), who expressed the opinion that some benefits for the development of the industry is no longer enough, "we need a whole program of action, but the benefits will not give a big growth."
Yuri Zisser on his Facebook
The fact that Valery Tsepkalo was dismissed from the post of director of the state institution "Hi-Tech Park Administration". the site has selected some of the most striking quotes from a man who has led the HTP since its inception for more than 10 years.
Valery Vilyamovich Tsepkalo was born on February 22, 1965 in Grodno, studied at the Belarusian National Technical University and the Moscow state institute international relations.
In the early 1990s, he worked in the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, served as an adviser to Stanislav Shushkevich on foreign policy issues and deputy minister of foreign affairs. In 1997-2002 he was the Ambassador of Belarus to the United States, then Assistant to the President in the field of science and technology. Since October 2005 - Director of Administration of the High-Tech Park.
"Integral can only remain competitive if it keeps salaries below $200"
— Globalization creates significant challenges for many industries National economy especially in areas where there is a high proportion of manual labor. For example, the Belarusian, Ukrainian or Russian textile industry in the form in which it exists today can only remain competitive if the cost of a worker in an enterprise is comparable to that of a worker in a garment factory in Indonesia, Mexico, Vietnam or Bangladesh.
Microelectronic industry: Belarusian "Integral", Russian "Angstrem" will be able to remain competitive with Chinese manufacturers only if they keep salaries no higher than Chinese 200 dollars.
But it is no longer possible to close borders, go the way of protectionism, limit competition. What will we do with our BelAZ trucks, tractors, refrigerators, TVs and other goods on the domestic Belarusian market?
Therefore, one should not complain about globalization, but find one's own place in it. Don't scold her, but take advantage of her.
“The more they squeeze business, trying to get money out of it, the poorer the state as a result”
— There are two parameters according to which, in terms of investment attractiveness the country is evaluated, it is the law and the atmosphere. Of course, the arrest of Prokopenya does not have the most favorable effect on the atmosphere. Maybe there really are grounds for criminal prosecution - but we can judge this based on extremely scarce data. If the Investigative Committee had told in detail what had happened, presented some evidence, made the process as transparent as possible, it would have been a completely different matter.<…>
He did not kill anyone, did not rape, therefore, does not pose a threat to society. We applied with a request to change the measure of restraint for him. We believe that the state as a whole will benefit if he is at large, continues economic activity, and imports foreign currency into the country. In parallel, there may be an investigation.
All over the world, state employees - and law enforcement agencies in particular - are supported by the money that businesses earn.
The more such money will be, the better the workers will live. public sector. And vice versa, the more such people will infringe, the less they have the desire to work. You see, this is a serious global problem - it is called the "poverty trap": the more they clamp down on a business, trying to extract money from it, the poorer the state ends up. I think no one wants the “poverty trap” to close around Belarus thanks to such actions.
“Responsibility for illegal entrepreneurial activity should be excluded from our criminal legislation”
— In 1976, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak assembled their first computer in a garage and sold a non-existent batch to a nearby store. Then friends registered Apple, which today costs twice as much as the entire economy of Ukraine.<…>
It must be understood that in our country, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, most likely, would have been held accountable for "illegal entrepreneurial activities associated with the receipt of income on a large scale, committed by a group of persons" under Article 233 of the Criminal Code. And in the States, they themselves have earned, and moved forward the world's high-tech.<…>
In my opinion, liability for illegal entrepreneurial activity should be excluded from our criminal legislation long ago (with the exception of medical, related to people's lives, and financial, related to the production of counterfeit money, the construction of various financial pyramids etc.). Indeed, in our legislation there is already an administrative responsibility for activities without registration.
I think that this article in the Criminal Code has remained as a relic Soviet economy when only state enterprises could exist.<…>But the time is different. It is impossible to imagine without private business modern economy. And without the right of people to do something (hence - entrepreneurship), to dare, to try, development is impossible.
“Most of our directors do not take risks”
There is no business without losses. A director state enterprise has no room for error. If he has three successful new projects, and the fourth one did not go, then the leader can be seriously punished “for miscalculations in economic activity". Therefore, the majority of our directors do not take risks, they do not go for innovations, since by definition they involve risk, they do not try to introduce something new.
There is no such thing in the world. There, the leader is evaluated according to general indicators. economic activity. Failure is not punishable. Therefore, to our deepest regret, our enterprises will continue to lose in the competition.
“It is impossible to create Microsoft, Apple or Google by any efforts – state or otherwise”
September 2016, speech at the forum "Business of the Future", "Probusiness"
— The most necessary condition for the development of the IT sector in our country will be the creation of the right ecosystem, the right environment. And this environment will give rise to companies that are really stars for us, and not only for us. And if we correctly create, support and develop this environment, then such companies will appear on their own.
It is impossible to create Microsoft, Apple or Google by any efforts - state or otherwise. There must be an initiative of some guys from below who live by this idea.
And which would embody these ideas in the form of such corporations, which today stand as the economies of large countries, such as Ukraine, for example. Therefore, it was really very, very important for us to create the right environment, the right ecosystem - the cluster that I have already mentioned.
“An IT specialist can bring more benefits to the army than a soldier who can break a brick with his head”
February 2017, performance at an event of the AlterEdu project, TUT.BY
- In Israel, compulsory service in the army for three years, and not only boys, but also girls serve there. But here's the peculiarity: they take people who are capable of IT into special units. Because in Israel it is really believed that an IT specialist can bring much more benefit in the army than, for example, a soldier who can break a brick with his head. And when they leave the army, the "merchants", representatives of large technology firms, offer the guys to go to work with them. Because they know that the guys learned things there that can be useful for employers in civilian life.
I can say that we have already come up with initiatives several times and are talking with the Ministry of Defense and law enforcement agencies that if a young man is taken into the army, so that his service is somewhat reminiscent of what now exists in the Israeli army. To use a person in accordance with the intellectual potential that he has.
Late yesterday I talked with the director of the Minsk High Technology Park (HTP) Valery Vilyamovich Tsepkalo, whom the leadership of the Republic of Belarus sent to Moscow to explain the Belarusian position in the "gas conflict" with the Russian Federation. A more suitable figure is hard to find. Valery Tsepkalo worked as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, spent several years as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the United States, then was an assistant to the President of the Republic of Belarus and his representative in parliament, then to him as the author of the books "Belarus: By the Way of the Dragon" (on the application of the experience of modernization of the Eastern Asia in the conditions of post-Soviet Belarus) and “The Code of Immortality: the Mystery of Death and Resurrection” (on the prospects for the development of the “knowledge society”) entrusted the most important task - to ensure a post-industrial breakthrough for the republic.
I recalled that the share of Soviet Belarus, if calculated per capita, accounted for the largest personnel, geological exploration, technical and organizational contribution to the development of hydrocarbon resources Western Siberia and in the construction of pipelines from there to the countries of Eastern and then Western Europe. Belarus has the full moral right to receive oil and gas on the same terms as Russian users. There should be no "hydrocarbon wars" between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus in principle. And the planned provocation once again confirms that Putin will not allow the rapprochement of our countries. This is the geopolitical super-task he professes. In order for the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus to unite in a single Union State, Putin must be removed from power.
Before that, I read the interview of the State Secretary of the Union State Pavel Pavlovich Borodin "" No matter how they interfere with us - the Union will be. There is no bad weather for Russian-Belarusian integration" in the last (July) issue of the magazine " Russian Federation today” (Moscow, July 2010, No. 13, pp. 2-3). "Who interferes personally?" - Yury Khrenov, editor-in-chief of the RF Segodnya magazine, asked over and over again, but Pavel Borodin did not directly answer, but with his appearance and intonation he made it clear that they were interfering from the very top of Russian politics. I won’t denounce - as much as possible, I have already written hundreds of notes, and everything is so clear for those who understand or want to understand reality, and it is such that it requires strength of mind to understand it, but few people in Russia today have this strength .
In addition, I expressed confidence that since Belarusian President Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko is not a selfish person and sincerely seeks, first of all, to improve the life of the people who trust him and turn Belarus into a modern prosperous state, even if the Russian Federation suddenly disappears from the face of the earth and all ties between Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation - the republic will continue its breakthrough into post-industrialism and will find ways to receive necessary resources from other countries of Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America and even the USA. Valery Vilyamovich confirmed that cooperation between the HTP and the United States has already been established in full, and the Park's products primarily serve American market, and in general, the Republic of Belarus, no doubt, can live without the Russian Federation, but why does the Russian leadership need it - to push away its only ally over and over again, to insult the Belarusian President in every possible way. In response, I tried to explain the essence of the regime, which, unfortunately, had established itself in Russia, and advised me not to build illusions and modernize ourselves without much hope for Russian understanding and support.
We also discussed the proposed reform of science and education in the Republic of Belarus. Valery Vilyamovich generally wants to integrate the National Academy of Sciences and universities. Now scientists are cut off from students and graduate students, and teachers, due to lack of time and isolation from scientific work, are forced to neglect the improvement of their qualifications. I asked what is the average teaching load per teacher in Belarus. "Approximately 800-850 hours." "But this is wrecking! - I said. - With such a load, the degradation of university teaching is inevitable." "Not sabotage, but misunderstanding," Valery Tsepkalo cautiously remarked. Further, I outlined my position on the planned grandiose academic and university reform (it was substantiated in a number of my previous texts).
They also discussed joint Internet projects and prospects for international expansion. Unfortunately, until now, through my fault, the blank of the program document is not ready, and also it is necessary to tighten up the companions-orgoviks.
News agencies this is how they report today's speech by Valery Vilyamovich Tsepkalo in Moscow - "The lesson of the gas war: Belarus needs to create intellectual-intensive industries":
"The most important lesson of the recent gas war is that Belarus should not only diversify energy supplies, but also actively think about creating intellectually intensive industries. Such an opinion was expressed by Valery Tsepkalo, director of the administration of the High Technology Park, today in Moscow at a press conference dedicated to the Belarusian-Russian energy dialogue, BelTA correspondent reports.
Valery Tsepkalo also did not rule out that in the future Belarus would move its energy-intensive industries outside the country.
The expert is convinced that Belarus can resolve the issue of diversifying energy supplies in a fairly short period of time. As an example, he cited Finland, which back in the late 1980s was 100% dependent on oil and gas supplies from the Soviet Union.
Valery Tsepkalo said that Belarus is currently actively exploring the possibilities alternative sources energy. In particular, the Belarusian side fully supports Poland's projects related to shale gas production. "With its gas war, Russia has taught us a lesson, making it clear that such conflicts may be in the future," he said.
"Russian economist Andrei Bunich called Russia's criminal policy towards Belarus
Raw material psychology dominates in Russia - the opinion of a Russian political scientist.
Gas and other wars negatively affect integration processes - Shukhno.
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko is confident that there are political reasons behind the Russian-Belarusian gas conflict. He stated this in an interview with the Euronews TV channel, BelTA has learned.
"$200 million is not the kind of money when the dispute should come to this. But, you know, a certain chain has been built recently: Belarus did not recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, then you did not join the Customs Union, you sheltered former President of Kyrgyzstan. That is, everything was not done the way Russia would like. Are there political reasons behind this gas conflict?", the TV channel's correspondent asked Alexander Lukashenko.
"I'm 100% sure of this. But I want to ask you a rhetorical question: why didn't we recognize Ossetia and Abkhazia? Kazakhstan didn't recognize it either. But they Kazakhstan, which produces 90 million tons of oil, consumes only 11 of them, they (the Russians) deliver oil to them at half price,” the Belarusian leader said, “I ask the “tandem” in the Russian Federation: why do you behave in this way towards us, if at the same time you behave differently towards another member of the Customs Union, selling oil at half price, in fact, without duty? There is no answer. So, there are some other questions...," Aleksandr Lukashenko noted. "Apparently, they once again want to rebuild us, and Europe through us. This is their practice "Maybe they are worried about falling oil prices and, as a result, gas prices. Such conflicts are always for market economy dangerous because they drive up prices. So it was in the conflict with Ukraine. But it is surprising that this has not happened now. On the contrary, the price of oil has fallen over the past three days."
The President of Belarus stressed that "gas is a reason." "They say that this is a 'dispute between business entities'. What a dispute, if during the meeting with Medvedev we agreed that he would sort out all issues, including gas and oil (duties and so on) , will call me and tell me the result. Two days later I see a plot from the film, a few shots: Medvedev is sitting, Miller is sitting, and he gives him instructions (it was staged anyway): an ultimatum - to pay in 5 days. How to pay for 5 days, if you owe us more?! Why don’t you pay?” the head of state asked. “That is, there was no reason for the conflict, there was absolutely no reason. They had to pay $260 million – we would have transferred $187 million to them at once,” Alexander Lukashenko said.
In his opinion, perhaps Russia thus wants to keep Belarus in its sphere of influence. “We don’t need to be kept in our sphere of influence, we were absolutely pro-Russian, we did everything to make Russia feel good. This is not the way to pull countries closer to us and keep them in our sphere of influence. "Israelis establish relations. And I often spoke to Putin and Medvedev about this. Please, let's establish such relations as the Americans do with Israel, and you will always have your interests in Belarus, and they will be sacredly respected," the Belarusian leader said.
"Imperial thinking consists in the fact that you need to take, wrap, tilt, press, throw a noose. Otherwise, they don’t know how. Well, probably, some victorious successes today are needed. This is also very important for large states, victory But Belarus is not the place where you can roll up your sleeves and win today, because the Russian people do not accept a fight with Belarusians, I know this for sure," Alexander Lukashenko concluded."
The text of Alexander Lukashenko is eloquent - “DO NOT ALLOW BREAKING OF BROTHER TIES: The President of the Republic of Belarus - to A. A. Prokhanov” (Tomorrow, Moscow, June 30, 2010, No. 26 / 867 /, p. 1):
Dear Alexander Andreevich!
I consider it necessary to inform you about the real situation that has developed over the so-called "gas conflict" between the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation.
This is due to the fact that over the past week, the citizens of our countries and the entire world community have been actively imposed by Russian politicians and the media with a distorted view of this question.
What is the true state of affairs?
Indeed, over the past period current year OAO Beltransgaz owed to OAO Gazprom in the amount of USD 186.7 million. This was due to the fact that, paying for gas at the price of 2009, the Belarusian side consistently continued negotiations on the terms of the contract for 2010. We agreed on this with the President of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Medvedev, back on December 10, 2009, at a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State.
I want to emphasize right away that the negotiation process, through the fault of the Russian side, was actually disrupted. Although we always took a flexible constructive position, offered various options mutually beneficial solution of the issue, were ready for acceptable compromises. Belarusian initiatives were ignored, and our representatives, including high-level government members, were forced to sit for hours in Gazprom's reception rooms.
About it for some reason Russian politicians and the Russian media are silent.
Not a word was said about the other side of the conflict - Gazprom's debt for gas transit through the territory of the Republic of Belarus. But it significantly exceeded the amount of our debt, amounting to 259.8 million US dollars. Moreover, unlike OJSC Beltransgaz, which paid for gas, OJSC Gazprom has not paid for transit at all since the end of 2009.
We deliberately did not raise the issue of this debt, because, being in the negotiation process, we seriously counted on the solution of all controversial aspects in the spirit of real partnership, which the Russian political elite constantly talks about.
In a similar vein, we spoke with the President of the Russian Federation and the Prime Minister of Russia quite recently, on June 11, 2010. And we agreed that the Russian side would carefully study our proposals and inform about its position within a few days.
Imagine our surprise when the Russian leadership did not communicate its decision directly to us, its partners, but staged it on TV in the form of a "gas" ultimatum.
But an even greater shock for the Belarusians was the fact that the ultimatum and the start of the "gas" blockade were scheduled for June 21 - on the eve of the 69th anniversary of the start of the operation to enslave the Soviet people by the Nazi invaders.
Russia did not act like this even with less friendly countries. Everyone knows examples when OAO "Gazprom" silently looked at the billions of debts accumulated over the years by other states.
And such a blow in the back to the fraternal people was made in conditions when the debt of the Russian side significantly exceeds the Belarusian debt.
Our people took this step as an insult to the nation and a betrayal of historical memory.
It turns out that, speaking in words about the inadmissibility of revising the lessons of history, the Russian leadership actually evaluates the holiness of fraternal ties in cubic meters of gas and barrels of oil.
We are absolutely not against pragmatism in economic cooperation. But she must equally concern both sides, take into account the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and correspond to the spirit of ongoing integration processes.
And, of course, be based on the strict implementation by all parties commitments made, without exceptions, limitations and arbitrary interpretation.
Do Gazprom's latest actions correspond to such approaches? After all, even after we timely paid for the May delivery of gas, and the next day, June 23, paid off all the existing debt, OAO Gazprom did not fulfill its contractual obligations in full.
Instead, he began to look for various tricks in an effort to reduce the amount of his debt and delay its payment. But we have in our hands the acts signed by him, which clearly indicate the tariffs for transit.
Let's be honest: is it really only monetary interest behind the actions of Gazprom in this whole story? Can a couple of hundred million dollars be decisive for financial position one of the largest transnational corporations?
I am sure that everyone knows the answer. The underlying reason for the conflict is completely different. He is only a part of the unfriendly policy that has been systematically pursued towards Belarus over the past years. Suffice it to recall the recent "dairy", "meat", "sugar", "oil" and other wars. I'm not talking about the line purposefully pursued by the majority of the Russian media, which has acquired the character of a real informational aggression.
The goal is obvious: to "rebuild" the leadership of Belarus, to force them to make concessions to the detriment of national interest sovereign state, to get tidbits of Belarusian property.
We, in Belarus, see all this and evaluate it accordingly. As a result, among our citizens, unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer supporters of deep integration with Russia. Belarusians are beginning to treat the country closest to us - Russia - with caution, expecting the most unpredictable blows from it.
We, politicians, can and must do everything to prevent the breaking of fraternal ties and the rupture of allied ties that have been painstakingly formed over the centuries by many generations. Under no circumstances should these sacred values be sacrificed to individual ambitions and momentary interests.
I hope for your understanding and support, for your ability to objectively understand the lies and slander that have been splashing out recently on the pages of the Russian media.
Sincerely,
Alexander Lukashenko
If you read an interesting interview by Pavel Borodin on the current situation in the Union State of the Russian Federation + Belarus on the website of the Russian Federation Today magazine, then Mikhail Zadornov's sidebar is striking on the right: "... Having been in Minsk, Vitebsk, Mogilev, Borisov, I made the main conclusion for himself: Russia is unfairly behaving towards Belarus. Newspapers, television are scoffing at their Old Man, over the fact that they allegedly have nothing but potatoes, sticking the label of Soviet backwardness to Belarus. But in fact, today Russia can learn from with my neighbor. In all the cities where I have been, new stadiums have been built, every school has sports grounds. The sidewalks are so clean that you can walk at home in street shoes. There are no terrorist attacks in Belarus, after the collapse of the Union, she has not been with anyone fought. It does not have such a number of young drug addicts as in Russia. There are no oligarchs here who influence the politics of power. There are no godfathers and godfathers who keep the provinces in fear ... "
It's hard to believe, but the Belarusian Hi-Tech Park is only 10 years old. During this time, our pioneers in the IT field really managed to take a step into the future and loudly declare: “Look how Belarusians can make a product that is competitive on the world market!” For the image of the country - an indisputable bonus, as, indeed, for the economy. But this topical industry, where the main resource is intelligence, needs a special environment without sudden movements and excessive control. Otherwise, we will lose both specialists and serious investments. Our interlocutor is HTP CEO Valery Tsepkalo.
In a short time, an industry has been created in the country, which today largely forms the image of Belarus. This happens because we have a number of products that are in the most prestigious - the consumer segment of the market. That is, they are used by hundreds of millions of people around the world. This is the famous messenger Viber, the World of Tanks game, the Masquerade application. All this made people talk about Belarus in Business Week, Bloomberg, Euronews, Reuters and other leading world media.
Of course, no one belittles the importance of our engineering flagships. But they are known abroad to a greater extent in the professional segment of the market. For example, BelAZ is known among specialists in the mining industry, MTZ - among farmers of Eastern Europe, India, Pakistan. And this is understandable.
SB: Recently, the HTP summed up the results of the work for the first half of the year. The numbers sounded impressive: revenue growth increased by 15 percent. Over 90 percent is exported...
In the world, the information technology industry, as, in fact, world economy in general, is no longer growing as much rapidly; growth is about 1.5 - 2% per year. The pace of development of our IT industry is still almost 10 times higher than the global one. This, despite the fact that the industry has matured, has become an important element national economy Belarus.
"SB": It is not surprising that the IT sector today is one of the most attractive for young people. Although for success you need to study and work a lot, but in the end you get a decent standard of living.
I agree. The world has entered the post-industrial stage of development. Fashion today is set by technological products, and not by heavy engineering or petrochemical products. The truth is that young people do not dream of the exploits of Stakhanov, and girls are not eager to become seamstresses. Young people do not want to work in conditions of noise, vibration, harmful fumes and strong odors. She dreams of an office job. The right alternative? This is also a topic for discussion. But I'm talking about something else ... The country needs accountants and lawyers, but they don't make it richer, they don't develop the economy. They only serve the system that the state has created. The material wealth of the country is created primarily by engineers. They are the foundation of the economy. They provide exports, bring currency into the country, provide jobs and hotel business, and restaurant, provide employment for lawyers, economists, and accountants. Thanks to them, by the way, both civil servants and law enforcement agencies are kept.
"SB": But without a person, machines do not turn on and combines do not move across the field ... Although, in general, the topic is interesting. But back to the image of the Park. How does it reflect high-profile tax stories like the recent one with IBA Group, two of whose companies are HTP residents?
We do not have information about the essence of the claims and do not even know to whom they were brought. Or a company that is part of the HTP, or those that operate outside the legal framework of the Park. According to the Ministry of Taxes and Duties, during the year, violations in the economic sphere are detected in 99.8 percent of inspected business entities. Why this happens is a separate discussion. I don't think that all the people involved in economic activities in the country are really unscrupulous, and only inspectors, tax officials and other inspectors are honest.
I will say this: the general “sense of guilt” among all those involved in business greatly demotivates people and deprives them of moral satisfaction from the results of their work, pride in their work.
Businesses existing in the country can be conditionally divided into two categories. The first includes enterprises that produce export products. They create jobs, earn foreign currency for the country, and contribute to GDP growth. These enterprises form the basis of economic growth, a source of pride, especially when the products are technologically advanced and known to the whole world.
The second group includes companies that import foreign-made products into the country - from cars to computers, building materials, clothes and more. They export abroad the currency earned by the enterprises of the first group. They do not have a material base in the country, they have no equipment in Belarus, they practically do not create jobs.
For the country's economy, first of all, enterprises of the first group are important. They must be supported in every possible way. And governments are involved in supporting importers foreign countries where the main production facilities are located.
SB: So what? Differentiate companies according to the principle “bring in currency or withdraw it”?
Why not. Everyone does this if they want the development of the economy and the growth of the well-being of their people. Let me give you one interesting example.
A few years ago in Korea, a case was heard in court over the creation by the president of Hyundai and KIA, Chang Mong Koo, of a “slush fund” (slush fund) for various unseemly purposes, including bribery of officials, which was formed to launder $ 106 million received from as a result of tax avoidance. The prosecutor demanded 5 years in prison. He was given 3 years. However, the court's decision said that his detention would have "serious economic consequences", and the President of the Republic of Korea Lee Myung-bak made a statement about the "importance of Mr. Chang's enterprises for the country."
He never spent a day in prison. Everyone understood that the deprivation of his freedom only played into the hands of Japanese, American and European automakers, for whom the Korean automobile concern had become a serious competitor. And not only in the domestic market, but all over the world. Therefore, the state decided not to isolate the one who committed economic crimes, but to give him the opportunity to continue his economic activities, engage in charity work and continue to earn currency for the country.
"SB": So all the same to differentiate businesses on the principle of export-import?
It should be understood that it is almost impossible to find offenses among those involved in imports. For example, a Polish plant for the production of ceramic tiles will operate on the territory of Belarus through intermediaries or individual entrepreneurs who import small parties under the order. In extreme cases, several cubic meters of tiles can be confiscated from the violator, which will not cause any damage to the Polish manufacturer. Therefore, suppliers of imported products feel comfortable - after all, their production is located outside the country, outside the jurisdiction of our control and law enforcement agencies.
A Belarusian enterprise producing the same ceramic tiles will find itself in a completely different situation. After all, he has here material base- buildings, machines, equipment - and working people. It conducts serious economic activity, not just “bought and sold”. Therefore, it is much easier to find shortcomings in his work than with an importer, as evidenced by the violations of the law found by the Ministry of Taxes and Duties in 998 out of 1,000 enterprises of the Republic of Belarus. It must be understood that each punishment of a Belarusian manufacturer undermines its position in foreign markets and makes it easier for foreign competitors to work in the domestic Belarusian market.
Therefore, the most painful blow is dealt precisely to the national manufacturer, who has people, buildings, machines, equipment, materials. Fines may be imposed on him, and his property may be described and seized for the purpose of subsequent foreclosure of said property. It cannot "quickly close down trade", re-register, go bankrupt, disappear...
So, some inspectors, without knowing it, actually work for the economies of other countries.
SB: But the law should probably be the same for everyone.
Of course. Therefore, in order to equalize all exporters and importers before the law, in the United States, China or Turkey, enterprises have not seen any inspectors for decades. Moreover, they do not even know that they exist. In the People's Republic of China, there is a body called the General Audit Office. This main control body of the PRC employs ... 450 people. And this is for a country with a population of 1 billion 350 million people and 77.5 million business entities. In theory, a Chinese enterprise can be tested once every 150 years. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Chinese have no idea about the existence of such a body.
"SB": Perhaps your example did not convince everyone... It is difficult to imagine the work of the enterprise in the absence of state control. You often talk about the "knowledge economy". How is it different from the traditional economy?
I must say that in last years our KGC has taken a very constructive position. He does not exchange for trifles, does not make noise, but conducts systematic work. I like it... Regarding your question. In the “knowledge economy”, a person, not a machine, even the most expensive one, is the main productive force. And if in the industrial economy everything, roughly speaking, revolves around the machine, then in the post-industrial economy it revolves around the person. A person leaves - and there will be no project. Therefore, in industrial age people are fighting for a place, but in the "knowledge economy" companies are fighting for an employee...
In 1976, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak assembled their first computer in a garage and sold a non-existent batch to a nearby store. Then friends registered Apple, which today costs twice as much as the entire economy of Ukraine.
Having registered the company, the two Steves concentrated on production and promotion. They didn't have a requirement staffing, internal labor regulations, instructions on fire safety with a list of responsible persons, books of accounting for inspections, invoices - forms strict accountability and books of accounting for those, personal files of employees, an office for rent, and even a mandatory legal address (they were in the garage).
They did not even have a subscription to the "Tax Bulletin" and many other things, without which the "correct" organization of their business is impossible. The guys just invented, made computers and sold them.
It must be understood that in our country, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, most likely, would have been held accountable for "illegal entrepreneurial activities associated with the receipt of income on a large scale, committed by a group of persons" under Article 233 of the Criminal Code. And in the States, they themselves have earned, and moved forward the world's high-tech.
But, I will continue hypothetical reflections, if they suddenly “swept through” with us at the first stage, then after the registration of the legal entity, the amount of fines for non-compliance with the requirements of the law would many times exceed the entire profit from the sale of computers. And if their firm failed to pay the fines, then both Steves would suffer vicarious liability, with the likely confiscation of personal property in order to pay off debts. Who would benefit from this?
In my opinion, liability for illegal entrepreneurial activity should be excluded from our criminal legislation long ago (with the exception of medical, related to people's lives, and financial, related to the production of counterfeit money, the construction of various financial pyramids, etc.). Indeed, in our legislation there is already an administrative responsibility for activities without registration.
I think that this article in the Criminal Code has remained as a relic of the Soviet economy, when only state-owned enterprises could exist. And if someone decided to do, say, sewing denim suits (they were called "guild workers"), then his activity was qualified as illegal, he was arrested and had to serve time. long term in prison.
But the time is different. It is impossible to imagine a modern economy without private business. And without the right of people to do something (hence - entrepreneurship), to dare, to try, development is impossible.
"SB": But back to the difference industrial economy from the innovation economy.
Good. In the industrial era, in other words, in the era of factory pipes, a person is all the more valuable, the more he is disciplined, inclined to strict observance of norms and rules. These are the requirements for the employee on the part of the conveyor system of organizing production, based on the performance of monotonous operations. All that is required of a person is the exact and unconditional fulfillment of the tasks assigned to him.
And in order to squeeze the maximum out of the employee, a control system was created. In the industrial age, they dreamed of how, with a minimum number of "watchers", to ensure control over the maximum number of people. The peak of this system was the famous Panopticon, when not a single worker could be out of sight of the one who watched him, looked after him, controlled him.
There is no business without loss. And the director of a state-owned enterprise has no right to make a mistake. If he has three new projects successful, and the fourth one did not go, then the leader can be seriously punished "for miscalculations in economic activity." Therefore, most of our directors do not take risks, they do not go for innovations, since by definition they involve risk, they do not try to introduce something new.
There is no such thing in the world. There, the head is evaluated according to general indicators of economic activity. Failure is not punishable. Therefore, to our deepest regret, our enterprises will continue to lose in the competition.
Issues with taxes should be resolved calmly, through negotiations between the authorities and business entities, as is the case in the United States, in Europe and in developed countries Asia. We need civilized approaches in solving economic problems relationship between the state and citizens. With regard to business entities, approaches applicable to murderers, terrorists, robbers, drug dealers and other antisocial elements are no longer seen. After all, entrepreneurial people not only do not pose a danger to society, but on the contrary, they create jobs and contribute to economic growth.
In developed countries, the procedure for considering cases related to the payment of taxes is determined by civil law relations. The criminal aspect falls on the most extreme case, when the possibilities to resolve the issue within the framework of civil law relations have been completely exhausted.
You have to understand that companies like IBA bring currency into the country. We can penalize a company that makes $40 million a year and blame it for making another million. But this is logic turned inside out. After all, the company could not bring anything to the country at all if it decided to develop its business not in Belarus, but, say, in Poland or Lithuania, which sleeps and sees, in order to drag Belarusian IT companies to Vilnius, where technopark...
"SB": This is an interesting fact, or rather, a trend ...
During the construction of the Park, we encountered an absurd situation: while the building was being built, the standards for the distance between evacuation routes changed from 13 to 18 meters. As a result, the inspector came and said that the building was built incorrectly, wrote the formula, turned around and left. And what to do? Demolish an existing building?
Then he was not satisfied with the Austrian smoke exhaust valves; I had to wait 3 weeks for the Russian ones to be delivered. After that, questions arose about the glazing of the building, and the stained-glass windows had to be completely changed. All this time the object is not put into operation ...
In the People's Republic of China, if an inspector has caused damage to the economic activity of an enterprise, which resulted in a decrease in production volumes or, God forbid, a reduction in jobs, he extinguishes this damage from his salary. Therefore, if a fire inspector comes to the enterprise and sees that the fire shield is incorrectly designed, he will buy everything, do it according to the requirements, and simply issue an invoice for the work to the enterprise.
"SB": V Ancient Greece the word "techne" was also called art. Indeed, new technologies are akin to art...
Yes, they presuppose creativity, which is impossible without freedom - to dare, to invent, to try. We are seeing the birth of new people who are the engine of rapid economic change. These people are young, enterprising, creatively active, fully mastering the intellectual experience of human civilization. They form a new economic model modern development when not oil terminals, coal mines and sewing machines will determine the level of development of countries and peoples, but the intelligence of its citizens. And the economic and legal system in the state must adapt to these new realities if we want to take a worthy place in the global division of labor.
- Thank you for talking.
Note
Hi-Tech Park is approaching a billion dollars in annual revenue this year. Over 10 years, Belarusian software exports have grown more than 30 times. If in 2006 in terms of export of computer services per capita Belarus was almost four times behind India and five times behind the United States, today the country is 1.5 times ahead of the United States, India - 2 times, South Korea - in 2.5 times. Belarus entered the top 10 countries in the region of Europe, Russia, the Middle East and Africa, which are the largest providers of services in the field of custom software development, and ranked second, after Israel, in terms of the share of IT development in GDP per capita.
