Brest market vendors to stop working

Market vendors who sell light industry products say it is possible that they will stop working on December 1.

As charter97.org learnt, it will happen if the requirements of deputy PM Piotr Prakapovich remain in force. Market vendors from Brest discuss a possible refusal to pay the single tax and a rent for trade places starting winter. Having made sure the Belarusian authorities began to eliminate small business, some businessmen plan to move to Ukraine.

Alena Kustus, the chairperson of the Council of small businessmen of the TSUM market, says officials don't want to look for a compromise. “There was an inspection in Brest. Market vendors were given a recommendation to confirm that their goods comply with the regulations on safety of light industry products,” Kustus said. “Under the recommendation, they were to inform the local standartisation office about the correction of deficiencies by November 15. The controlling body can carry out an unscheduled check if no remedial actions are taken. So, we have an unscheduled check, though they promised no sanctions would follow.”

Representatives of the Brest Centre for Standartisation, Metrology and Certification held a meeting with market vendors and tried to assure them that they would have to confirm the legality of the purchased goods, not their compliance with the technical regulations of the Customs Union. Halina Yanushevich, the head of the certification department of the Brest standartisation centre, says: “We don't have official documents setting other dates.” In other words, market vendors need to have all official information about the goods: who is the seller of the goods, where he resides, how many goods were purchased for resale, etc.

As for the compulsory confirmation of compliance with the technical regulations, the law takes force on July 1, 2014. Market vendors will have to have declarations of compliance with the Customs Union's technical regulations, otherwise they may be fined and their goods may be seized. The declarations should be given by companies or organisations of the Customs Union. If a firm doesn't have such documents or is located outside the Customs Union, businessmen have to order an expert examination at their own expense.