20 illegal street markets to be closed in Minsk

Illegal markets will be closed and sellers will be fined.

According to the municipal authorities, the measures are taken over complaints of Minsk residents. An illegal market near Kamennaya Horka metro station will be the first to be closed, Belarus 1 TV channel reports.

More than 200 people were detained in Minsk's Frunzenski district last year for illegal trading. The police don't detain illegal traders this year, and the district authorities do not have power to do so. Sellers are not afraid of fines (from 70,000 to 300,000 rubles). Sanctions for illegal trading will be toughened.

“We appealed to the Ministry of Trade asking to amend the Code of Administrative Offences and set fines of from 5 to 10 penalty units. We also propose to seize goods if they are sold illegally,” Nina Yemelyanava, the head of the trade and services department of the Minsk city executive committee, says.

There are more than 20 food markets and about 1300 trading places in Minsk.