IEs on 'Talks' with Authorities: "We Are Left with Nothing"

Moratorium on Decree No. 222 will not be imposed; the tax authorities will continue inspections.

Bureaucrats repeatedly informed traders at the second sitting of the working group on February 11.

On Thursday the Ministry of Economy continued the discussion of Decree No. 48 "On State Control for Compliance with Regulations."

""Measures on administrative liability of penal sanctions were also discussed at the meeting. We say that the warning should be the first, and then follows a fine of 1-15 basic units, if nothing is done, Anatol Zmitrovich, Director of analysis center Republican Federation of Entrepreneurship, told tut.by. - But authorities have another opinion: they offer the maximum fine to be reduced from 500 to 300 basic units. We, of course, consider it a destruction of entrepreneurship, but not an administrative punishment. We are left with nothing".

The Economy Ministry also discussed Decree No. 222, the sensational document which has provoked IEs into idle time for the second month already.

"The Ministry on Taxes and Duties confirmed their position once again: no moratorium, inspections to be continued. The authorities have not agreed with an offered introduction of the benefit of the doubt for documents on goods imported from Russia. IEs may not confirm purchases from Russian business partners. But the authorities say such documents will not be valid," Anatol Shumchanka, leader of Perspective , informs.

He complains that "the authorities do not say how to verify legal activity of a Russian company within the CU."

"There is a problem. The Ministry of Taxes and Duties say that we may trade at our own risk, but they have the right to inspect us. There were cases when Russian sellers refused to confirm information about selling goods to Belarusians," the leader of Perspective says.

On February 15 entrepreneurs intend to take the streets of Minsk and other cities in Belarus.