Belarusian Sugar Prevented from Entering Russia :: Charter'97 :: News

Belarusian sugar is not being allowed through the only customs storage warehouse in Moscow on December 29, told the head of the State Food manufacturing concern Ivan Danchanka at a press conference in Minsk, Interfax informs. He specified that since December 29 supplies of Belarusian sugar through the warehouse of the limited liability company “Sakhar” of the Russian union of sugar manufacturers have been suspended. I. Danchanka believes that Russian customs services are “performing somebody’s order and act to please a little group of businessmen who want to control sugar supplies from Belarus”.

The head of the concern noted that even little volumes of sugar supplied in the recent month, stopped. He believes that this situation is intolerable any longer”, and according to his believes, it is necessary to adopt a decision of Russian government.

The head of the concern reminded that a number of measures have been introduced by customs services of Russia. They limited Belarusian supplies, and the volume of sugar sales dropped by 50%. The head of the concern noted that first a regime of customs declaring had been introduced. Rail cars were checked, and 30-50 cars of sugar were delivered a day. Later terms of examination were getting stricter, and customs service limited deliveries to 20 cars a day. Since November 1, 2006 “a profile of risk” which is used for illegal trade was introduced for Belarusian sugar. As a result, 5 cars of sugar passed through the customs office, and each car was checked.

According to I. Danchanka, such conditions of work are “insulting”, moreover, out of 550 inspected cars no sugar made from imported raw cane sugar had been found.

As said by the concern’s head, the Belarusian side, sugar plants, Belarusian sugar campaigns have many expenses to meet working in this regime. He noted that losses only through idle time make about $2 million.