Market sellers in Hrodna: This is not panic, this is collapse

Market traders of Hrodna say another slide of the Belarusian ruble almost made their business collapsed.

Many don't know how to live further.

Markets of Hrodna look grim. Less and less people come to buy goods. Sellers joke they now have enough time to discuss all news, Radio Svaboda reports.

Female traders at the central market rest near stalls, because only few customers can be noticed. What do they think about exchange rates? How do they react to the dollar growth?

A woman says sadly about the situation in the market:

“We don't know what to do. We come to work, but people don't buy anything. We didn't raise prices. The dollar began to grow rapidly. It's unclear how we should raise prices. We are at a loss. Our business will close soon.”

Another seller in her fifties says emotionally that the dollar rose but traders can't increase prices because they can't sell goods at all.

“Everything is devaluing. We don't know how we will work further. If we increase prices, people won't buy anything. The only way out is to close business.”

A middle-aged man joins the conversation. He says sellers hoped that the situation would become clearer after the elections. But they are now convinced that the future after the elections will remain uncertain.

“All of us are shocked. How could it happen ahead of the elections? We thought the dollar would cost 15,000-16,000 rubles, but it grew to 18,000 rubles in just one day. What can one buy for a salary except of food? This is not panic. This is collapse. I pay taxes forward, and I don't know if I will pay taxes for September. It's possible that we won't earn anything. The dollar costs 18,000 rubles today and may cost 20,000 or more tomorrow.”

Another seller says the government deprives people and market traders of the opportunity to buy and sell high-quality goods due to the dollar growth.

“We react to the situation and begin to import cheap goods of lower quality. Let the analysts in the government say they think about the siltation. We see the same in the public area.”