Former political prisoner and ex-leader of the "Greens" party, Dzmitry Kuchuk, opened a business in Lithuania

Dzmitry Kuchuk. Here and further photos from his archive

Dzmitry told "Nasha Niva" that he chose the same field he worked in back home — waste collection.

— In Belarus, I had one of the largest companies. Among other things, it collected household appliances for recycling. When I was forced to move to Lithuania, after some time I decided it was worth creating a company that would do the same.

A week ago, Dzmitry registered a company in Lithuania. The first orders are already in.

— Everyone periodically thinks about what to do with an old mobile phone, computer, refrigerator… All this cannot simply be thrown away so as not to leave such an environmental footprint. Household appliances should be handed in for recycling, as various metals, including precious ones, can be extracted from them.

Павялічыць

In simple terms, anyone who wants to throw away an old refrigerator can leave an application with Dzmitry, and he will arrange its removal. In Vilnius — on the same day, across Lithuania — within a week.

— I analyzed the situation in Lithuania. Here, if someone comes to collect equipment from you, they don't pay anything. But if a person brings it to a collection point themselves, they receive a small compensation. We are ready to pay a symbolic sum for large-sized equipment — and take everything away ourselves. Our minivan is this mobile collection point.

For now, Dzmitry managed without loans or investments — to start his business, he used money he received from "Bysol" as a former political prisoner.

— When I arrived in Lithuania, I didn't have a penny. Since I am recognized as a terrorist in Belarus, all my company's accounts were frozen. It turns out that my business was supported by Belarusians who donated to former political prisoners. With that money, I made a website, rented a minivan, and paid for advertising.

It is possible to register a company in Lithuania remotely. Dzmitry was helped by lawyers because he was worried about the language barrier. He notes that it can be difficult for Belarusians to open a bank account, as banks check everything from a security standpoint.

— But there is another factor here that is very important for businessmen — the investment climate. I spoke with several entrepreneurs. They say that if you make any mistakes regarding taxation or anything else, for the first year, all this might be forgiven. The Lithuanian state bodies themselves are very interested in helping businesses. In Belarus, in the event of a small mistake, you immediately get a fine, and even if you might not have experience, it hits you literally in the first month. In Lithuania, you are not afraid to make mistakes; the atmosphere does not pressure you at all. Therefore, you can concentrate on work matters, not on endless inspections.

Павялічыць

Dzmitry is optimistic, as the market of Lithuania and the European Union is significantly larger than that of Belarus.

— It's nice that there is Belarusian business in both Lithuania and Poland. Belarusians are gaining colossal experience working in the European market. In the future, if Belarus can establish relations with the European Union, this will be very useful, as officials and state enterprises will not be ready for it.

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