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Small business association urges Lukashenka to hold conference on ban on beer sales at kiosks

The Perspektyva small business association has called on Alyaksandr Lukashenka to chair a “round-table” conference on beer sales at kiosks and other small retail outlets, BelaPAN reports.

In a letter to the head of state, Perspektyva describes as erroneous the moves by local authorities across Belarus to ban small private retail outlets from selling beer.

The restrictions, which are aimed at curbing alcohol abuse, have hit hard not only vendors but also breweries, the association stresses.

“Beer stockpiles at breweries rose by 6.3 percent on January 1, 2010 compared with January 1, 2009. Beer stockpiles at trade organizations also increased. They totaled 847,900 decaliters on January 1, 2010 compared with 700,600 decaliters on January 1, 2009,” the letter says.