Recycling fee - a tax that bypasses the state budget

The movement #Netutilsboru arranged an online meeting in which the main disadvantages of the recycling fee were voiced and urged all Kazakhstani, who are affected by its introduction, to take action, reports the World of NAN.  

A sore subject for all farmers and motorists continues to gain momentum. Yesterday, entrepreneurs, experts, environmentalists and farmers organized an online meeting to express their dissatisfaction with the system of recycling fee. In particular, former Majilis deputy Nurzhan Altayev called the recycling fee a scam of the century, not only in Kazakhstan, but all over the world.

"The authors of the recycling fee tried to take the system out from under the Law "On Combating Corruption". Today, the recycling fee is like a tax that does not go to the budget, but goes into the pocket of a private LLP. In other words, all the fees are completely private money. Such a clever fraudulent move. Not a single law enforcement agency or counting committee can check how these funds are spent. In our case, the LLP refers to commercial secrecy, does not disclose its financial turnover, and disposes of the money as convenient. We see that the collected money is not transparent", - said Nurzhan Altayev.

Farmers and businessmen are desperate, because the Government doesn't see the damage caused to the economy. And the consequences, according to experts, are visible to the naked eye: the low rate of economic development, high inflation, low growth of mechanization of production processes. Meanwhile, if we look globally, the recycling fee affects each citizen of Kazakhstan: farmers' food prices are going up, along with carrier services, and consequently, the cost of delivered goods is going up. The society has been protesting for several years, but it seems to be more convenient for the Government to support interests of small circle of people. The Ministry of Environment hides behind concern for ecology, but experts refute it.

"Although the utilization fee was originally associated with the environmental payment, it was intended to stimulate the recycling of old equipment. But in fact, now the entire system is very far from the principles of green economy, - says environmental expert Elena Yerzakovich. - Today the whole population understands that the recycling fee does not contribute to renewing the vehicle fleet. I have been dealing with transport emissions for the last 6 years. In cooperation with all ministries and local executive bodies transport emissions seem to be on the agenda, but in reality no significant measures are being taken. The problem of transport emissions turned out not to be a priority to the environment. For several years, the authorities have completely ignored other instruments of environmental regulation, and consider the recycling fee to be the only tool".

Everyone has already understood that the recycling fee does not have noble goals, but rather serves to fill the pockets of those in power. Members of the #Netutilsboru movement, in the course of an online meeting, repeatedly appealed to the head of the Agency for Counteracting Corruption of the Republic of Kazakhstan to draw attention to the problem. But aren't these attempts futile?

"Such a scam is only possible in Kazakhstan. Our cornerstone problem is the lack of power of the people. Our people can't elect neither deputies, nor akims, nor the President. Because of the lack of people's power, such scams are possible. And recently they have become more impudent. The authorities will not change their position simply by holding online conferences. In order for it to change its approaches and learn to listen to the opinion of the people, it is necessary to voice its demands openly," concluded Nurzhan Altayev.

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