Businessmen: It's Lukashenka who is responsible for losses of brewing industry

The authorities are to be blamed for unprofitability of Belarusian breweries.

Anatoly Shumchanka, the head of the council of the Perspective republican organisation, said it to charter97.org.

“Lukashenka is not satisfied with the situation in beer industry. The import is growing, while domestic productions are declining. We warned about it some years ago. But no one listened to us. The government fulfilled its task and forced small businessmen out of beer markets to give space to big stores, the lobby groups. The director of Krynitsa brewery, whose salary was cut, is not guilty. All complaints should be addressed to the government and the Ministry of Trade that removed retail trade networks from Belarus four years ago,” the leader of the business movement is confident.

Perspective's head recalled a wide network of kiosks “Melkaya Roznitsa” that were closed.

“We had plenty of them [kiosks], but the resolution of the government of February 1, 2009, gave the regional authorities the right to choose retail facilities that can sell beer under the guise of anti-alcohol campaign. That's why we are in this situation that Lukashenka criticised yesterday. But responsibility lies not on brewery directors, but on the officials, who removed businessmen from the Belarusian beer market. Moreover, Perspective appealed to the government and Lukashenka several times and said businessmen were ready to sell Belarusian beer. But they ignored us and said we contribute to promiting alcoholism by selling beer”.

Lukashenka criticised foreign beer for flavouring agents and preservatives and called Belarusian beer natural at yesterday's meeting to discuss development prospects for brewing in Belarus.

The Belarusian dictator said the state was ready to regain control over loss-making and low-profit privatised breweries.