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Over 200 sole entrepreneurs to gather in Minsk next week to discuss restrictions on beer sales, assistance to producers in selling stocks

More than 200 sole entrepreneurs from across Belarus will gather in Minsk on September 21 to discuss restrictions on retail sales of beer, the possibility of assisting domestic producers in selling out their stocks and contribution to the government's efforts to tackle the impact of the global economic crisis.

The All-Belarusian Summit of Entrepreneurs "For the Right to Enterprise!" is being organized by a small business association called Perspektyva.

Officials of the economy ministry's enterprise department, managers of the Brestkaye Piva brewery and members of the Public Advisory Council under the aegis of the Presidential Administration have been invited to take part.

The forum is expected to yield a resolution on "the most burning problems" of small private businesses.

"We will identify the conditions that could really enable entrepreneurs to help Belarusian producers sell their goods," Perspektyva leader Anatol Shumchanka told BelaPAN. "Its copies will be sent to the Presidential Administration, the Council of Ministers, the regional executive committees and the Minsk City Executive Committee."

Mr. Shumchanka said that Perspektyva activists had organized a series of meetings with small business owners in provinces as part of preparations for the forum. "We have seen a huge economic and social potential of Belarusian entrepreneurs," he said.

Earlier this year, the authorities in the Brest, Homyel and Minsk regions banned owners of street kiosks from selling beer. Perspektyva repeatedly appealed to the authorities to review the ban, asking them to allow vendors to sell at least Belarusian-made beer, but to no avail.