English

Market vendors make last-minute plea to Lukashenka

Delegates to a June 30 conference of sole entrepreneurs in Minsk urged Alyaksandr Lukashenka to impose a moratorium on inspections targeting market vendors and fines for failure to comply with tough new rules that will come into force this week.

A resolution adopted at the conference, which brought together some 230 small business owners from Minsk and the provinces, called on the Presidential Administration to discuss the rules with market vendors' representatives for the sake of getting "true and objective information" across to Mr. Lukashenka.

The delegates urged authorities to engage in dialogue with market vendors and suggested that many top officials in charge of the economy should be replaced with "true professionals and patriots."

In addition, the resolution called for the institution of the position of the government's small business commissioner and warned against persecuting small business activists.

The resolution asked Mr. Lukashenka to hold the first nationwide conference of Belarusian sole entrepreneurs in what could become a good opportunity for a "frank and honest" dialogue between small business owners and the government.

"We have learned to work, provide Belarusian citizens with high-quality goods and services," said the resolution. "We have also learned to make money for our families. We want to be heard and understood in our own country."

Earlier this year, Mr. Lukashenka signed a presidential edict requiring market vendors to produce accompanying documents for clothing and footwear. The edict will take effect on July 1.

Small business activists have insisted for months that market vendors will not be able to comply with the requirement because they are sold the goods without accompanying documents.

The new rules are expected to force many market vendors to shut up shop. //BelaPAN