Sanitation service closes Zhdanovichy market

Most stalls don't work at Minsk's biggest market today.

Charter97.org learnt it from readers.

“Sellers don't work at the Zhdanovichy market,” he wrote.

The information was confirmed by Anatoly Shumchanka, the head of the organisation Perspective.

“A sanitation day was declared at the Zhdanovichy market today. They apparently remedy some defects. We have no information. All keep silence. Taking into account our reality we can suppose that something extraordinary happened, but both the market authorities and sellers say nothing. The Lebiazhy market, street stalls, the fishing tackle market don't work while Mir Mody pavilions are open. It can probably last for three days,” Perspective's leader notes.

We remind that thorough checks often followed by seizure of goods began at Belarusian markets on November 1. It became known yesterday that the Minsk city authorities disrupted a forum of small businessmen scheduled for November 25 to discuss the new trading rules that take force next month. Starting December 1, market vendors are not allowed selling 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.