Russia wants Lukashenka to annul decree on import of goods

The Russian government thinks the decree on the import of goods should be annulled.

The Russian authorities think the decree of 21 July 2014 hits other members of the Customs Union, so it should be repealed, Informing.ru reports.

The decree obliges importers to pay VAT on the imported goods on the Belarusian border. VAT amounts can be deducted only with a delay of 90 days.

So, importers have to pay VAT two times – on the border and when paying taxes for the accounting period. As a result, businessmen lack current assets.

The Belarusian government met the needs of Russian importers in September and annulled the decision on paying VAT on oil, gas and oil products on the border.

However, Moscow is not fully satisfied. Russia's Ministry of Economic Development calculated that the volume of orders of Belarusian car dealers from Russian manufacturers fell by 2,700 vehicles due to Lukashenka's decree.

The Belarusian authorities have not commented on Russia's demands yet.