Sole traders refuse to work on new rules

Many sole traders don't plan to start work today.

This statement was made by leaders of the public organisation Perspective that initiated a country-wide strike on June 27 and market traders across Belarus.

Representatives of small and medium-sized business from Minsk, Vitebsk, Hrodna, Homel, Baranavichy, Slonim, Svetlahorsk and Pinsk confirm they won't work on July 2, because they “cannot work legally under the present circumstances”, member of Perspective's council Viachaslau Pilipuk says.

Aliaksandr Makayeu, the chair of the coordination council of Minsk sole traders, said in an interview with charter97.org that many market traders filed tax returns with zero income that proves the absence of account activity. They refuse to work from today.

“The number of sole traders that don't work today reaches 50% in some towns,” he says.

Traders protest against the the technical regulations of the Customs Union. On July 1, Perspective activists and the organising committee to create the trade union of small businessmen Razam appealed to Piotr Prakapovich, a deputy prime minister and chair of the Council on Small Business Development, asking to influence the relative ministries and governmental bodies so that they simplify the certification procedure for light industry goods taking into consideration the interests of sole traders, BelaPAN news agency reports.

On June 27, Belarusian sole traders held a national strike. As estimated by unions of small businessmen, the strike involved about 70% of traders on markets and pavilions. Sole traders don't agree with actions of the authorities on adopting the Customs Union's technical regulations “On safety of light industry”. The decision to hold a one-day preventive strike was taken unanimously by 130 delegates at the Forum of Sole Traders on June 24. The new technical regulations oblige end sellers (including sole traders) to certify light industry goods and label them with the distribution mark common for all members of the Customs Union. Sole traders say the procedure is expensive and can ruin the business of those dealing with small lots of goods.

Leader of Perceptive organisation Anatoly Shumchanka was detained during the strike and sentenced to five days in custody.

Sole traders applied to the Minsk city executive committee for holding the Protest March on July 15. They want to walk on the route from the Academy of Science to Bangalore Square and have a rally in the Peoples' Friendship Park.