Miasnikovich against mandarins

Belarusian shops will offer fewer imported goods starting next year.

The government plans to fulfill a package of measures to decrease the import in 2014.

It follows from the draft forecast of the economic development for 2014, BelaPAN reports.

One of the steps to decrease imports to Belarus is “setting the marginal share of imports in the cost of manufactured products (60%) with a tax for exceeding the limit”.

Other measures to limit imports include “taking into account a decrease in dependence on imported materials and growth of exports when assessing performance of directors of enterprises”.

“A flexible system of price formation for domestic products depending on the demand, including discounts on unpopular goods” is another measure to reduce imports, according to authors of the document.

Belarusian prime minister Mikhail Miasnikovich said in the “parliament” on November 22 about a significant growth of consumer imports this year. “The consumer import grew by almost one third with the increase in real incomes of the population,” Miasnikovich said.

He noted that a significant increase in imports was caused by the inability of domestic goods to compete in the domestic market. “Our plants don't work enough. People vote for imported goods with their wallets. They either buy them here or go abroad for shopping,” the head of the government said.

Minister of Economy Mikalai Snapkou said in the parliament on the same day about the plans to “control the inflow of imported goods to the consumer market” in 2014. “The growth should not exceed 4.5%,” he said.

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