*Extract from the Law of the Republic of Belarus of January 4, 2010 No. 108-Z "On Local Government and Self-Government in the Republic of Belarus" (Adopted by the House of Representatives on December 11, 2009, Approved by the Council of the Republic on December 17, 2009)

CHAPTER 5
EXECUTIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE BODIES

Article 41. Competence of Executive Committees

• Executive committees, within their competence and in the manner prescribed by law:
• represent the interests of the relevant administrative-territorial unit in relations with other state bodies, other organizations and citizens;
• develop and submit for approval by the Councils draft programs for the socio-economic development of the relevant administrative-territorial unit, and ensure the implementation of these programs;
• develop and submit for approval by the Councils draft forecasts for the socio-economic development of the relevant administrative-territorial unit, and ensure the implementation of these programs;

develop and submit for approval by the Councils draft regional programs, concepts (executive committees of the primary level – draft action plans) on issues of housing construction, improvement of the relevant territory, road construction, communal and social services for citizens, social support for children, youth, veterans, disabled persons and the elderly, support for small businesses, healthcare, education, physical culture and sports, environmental protection and rational use of natural resources, improvement of working conditions and labor protection, radiation safety assurance, protection of historical and cultural heritage, and other matters of local importance, and ensure their implementation;

compile the draft local budget and prepare a report on its execution;

ensure the execution of the local budget, the receipt of budgeted revenues, and the expenditure of budgetary funds in accordance with their intended purpose;

grant, upon the instruction of the Councils and in accordance with the Tax Code of the Republic of Belarus and/or acts of the President of the Republic of Belarus, benefits on republican taxes, fees (duties) fully payable to local budgets;

manage communal property in the manner prescribed by the Councils, and also exercise control over its use in the relevant territory;

manage natural resources in cases and in the manner provided for by legislation on environmental protection and rational use of natural resources;

make decisions on the creation, reorganization and liquidation of organizations whose property is in communal ownership;

approve the operating procedures of organizations whose property is in communal ownership, coordinate the operating procedures of other organizations and individual entrepreneurs operating in the relevant territory, unless otherwise provided by legislative acts;

submit proposals on all issues of local significance to the relevant Councils and their bodies for consideration and participate in the consideration of these proposals;

organize discussions on important issues of local and republican significance in the relevant territory;

inform citizens and organizations about the state of affairs in the relevant territory on issues of local significance;

ensure state minimum social standards in the areas of social support and social services, remuneration, pension provision, and other areas;

organize gas supply, electricity supply, heat supply, water supply for citizens, sewage disposal in the relevant territory, ensure the population's need for drinking water, and fuel supply for citizens;

form commodity resources for administrative-territorial units in order to ensure uninterrupted trade;

take measures aimed at developing industrial and agricultural production, the service sector, small and medium-sized businesses, and personal subsidiary plots;

make decisions on granting land plots for use, lease, perpetual hereditary possession, transferring them into ownership, as well as on the withdrawal of land plots (except for city executive committees (cities of district subordination));

organize work on landscaping, ensuring proper sanitary condition, and greening of populated areas;

take measures to ensure environmental protection and the rational use of natural resources;

ensure the development of urban planning projects;

promote the free development of cultures of national communities residing in the relevant territory, ensure the protection and promotion of the rights of citizens of various nationalities in the spheres of education, information support, and other spheres;

resolve issues of demographic security, improvement of socio-economic living conditions of families;

resolve issues of placing construction objects in the relevant territory;

ensure the development of housing stock and housing economy, create conditions for providing citizens with housing, including organizing the construction of social housing, and providing such housing;

create conditions for providing citizens with communication, public catering, trade, and household services;

create conditions for the provision of transport services to the population and organize transport services for citizens in the relevant territory;

create conditions for the realization of citizens' right to education;

ensure the dissemination of cultural values, conduct cultural events, and stimulate citizens' cultural activities, carry out measures for the protection of historical and cultural heritage;

conduct physical culture and health-improving and sports and mass work with citizens, maintain physical culture and sports facilities in communal ownership, and carry out their repair, maintain a sufficient level of provision of settlements with physical culture and sports facilities;

ensure sanatorium-resort treatment and health improvement of citizens;

promote the development of trade union, youth, children's, women's, veteran, and other public associations;

conduct events in the field of state youth policy;

organize the construction, reconstruction, repair, and maintenance of local roads, manage road activities related to non-public roads;

exercise control in the areas of housing construction, improvement of the relevant territory, road construction, communal and social services for citizens, social support for children, youth, veterans, disabled persons and the elderly, support for small businesses, healthcare, education, physical culture and sports, environmental protection and rational use of natural resources, labor protection, ensuring radiation safety, protection of historical and cultural heritage, and in other areas affecting issues of local importance;

take measures to protect consumer rights, including housing and communal services;

jointly with law enforcement agencies, carry out activities to maintain public order;

carry out activities for the prevention of offenses;

participate in the fight against corruption, countering extremism, including terrorism;

participate in the prevention and elimination of emergency situations, implementation of civil defense measures, ensuring fire, industrial, nuclear and radiation safety, and the elimination of the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster;

ensure control over compliance with legislation in the relevant territory, and provide explanations on issues of legislative application within the competence of local government and self-government bodies;

hold events related to state holidays, festive days and memorable dates;

act as founders (participants) of organizations whose property is privately owned;

act as founders of local mass media;

resolve issues related to labor protection;

participate in international cooperation;

exercise other powers provided for by this Law and other legislative acts.

Article 43. Specifics of the competence of basic-level executive committees

Executive committees of the basic level, within their competence and in the manner established by legislation:

• promote citizen employment, organize paid public works, appoint and pay unemployment benefits, and resolve other employment-related issues;
• ensure the provision of preferential loans and subsidies to citizens registered as needing housing improvement;
• organize library services for citizens, formation and preservation of library collections;
• ensure the improvement and maintenance of proper sanitary conditions in the relevant territory, including in agro-towns, and involve citizens and organizations in carrying out such works;
• organize street lighting and the installation of signs with street names and house numbers;
• organize municipal waste removal operations;
• perform actions related to the registration of civil status acts;
• ensure road traffic safety;
• carry out state registration and liquidation (termination of activities) of business entities (only Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno, Mogilev city executive committees);
• issue special permits (licenses) for carrying out certain types of activities;
• submit proposals for the dismissal of heads of state organizations located in the relevant territory, whose property is not owned by the communal property of this administrative-territorial unit, and their employers in case of non-fulfillment by them of decisions of the Council, executive committee of the basic level or the Council, executive committee of the regional level, adopted within their competence, or other legislative acts, unless otherwise established by the President of the Republic of Belarus;
• submit proposals for the dismissal from positions of heads of organizations located in the relevant territory, whose property is not owned by the communal property of this administrative-territorial unit, to the state bodies to which they are subordinate (managed) or the management bodies of these organizations in case of non-fulfillment by them of decisions of the Council, executive committee of the basic level or the Council, executive committee of the regional level, adopted within their competence, or other legislative acts;
• submit proposals to the competent state bodies for bringing to justice organizations located in the relevant territory, their officials and other citizens, for compensation of damages caused by their decisions, actions (inaction) to the interests of citizens, local economy, environment, in case of non-fulfillment by them of decisions of the Council, executive committee of the basic level or the Council, executive committee of the regional level, adopted within their competence, or other legislative acts;
• shall revoke decisions of lower executive and administrative bodies, orders of their heads, if they do not comply with decisions of the Council, the executive committee of the basic level or the Council, the executive committee of the regional level, adopted within their competence, or other legislative acts;
• shall exercise other powers provided for by this Law and other legislative acts.