Minsk authorities try to disrupt forum of small businessmen

The Yubuleynaya Hotel refused to give premises for holding a forum.

Charter97.org learnt it from Anatoly Shumchanka, the head of the organisation Perspective that organises the event.

“We received a notice saying that the hotel refuses to rent out the premises for holding a forum on November 25, 2013. The premises were vacant on November 4. An employee of the Yubileynaya Hotel put our event on the schedule. It's obvious that today's decision was taken on the order from above to disrupt our forum ahead of December 1 – the date when the new rules take force,” Anatoly Shumchanka said.

Small businessmen will not looking for new premises, according to Shumchanka.

“If representatives of the Yubuleynaya Hotel call and apologize to us, we will hold the forum as we planned. If they don't, let the authorities settle problems with people at markets,” he said.

Market vendors protest against the fact that starting December 1 they won't be able to sell goods without documents confirming their quality and safety in accordance with the Customs Union's technical regulations on safety of light industry products.

The Customs Union's technical regulations already provoked protests. Market vendors held strikes in late June and early July saying that the technical regulations put them on the verge of survival, because they oblige small businessmen to carry out an expensive certification procedure.

Many market vendors may stop working on December1.