Sole traders refuse to pay taxes

Sole traders from Polatsk are going to stop paying taxes and rent in March.

The statement was made by Volha Shcharstabitava, a representative of market traders from Polatsk, at the national forum of small businessmen, Euroradio reports.

“We'll take financial measures to show the state that we have problems. There are many sole traders. The government already postponed dates of payment of pensions and child allowances. Does it mean that the governments expects it won't have enough revenues from our taxes?” she said and noted that rental prices grew by more than 50%.”

More than 400 small businessmen from all regions of Belarus came to the forum. They discuss high rental prices, taxes and impossibility to sell goods without certificates.

Volha Shcharstabitava from Polatsk raised a question of the absence of distribution centres.

“They promised in 2005 that distribution centres would be opened. Why did the authorities fail to implement orders of the president to allow market traders to get goods with documents?” the woman said.

A representative of the Ministry of Trade answered that distribution centres worked in Belarus and their addresses could be found on the websites of the ministry and local authorities.

Many businessmen do not want to buy anything in such centres, because “prices are high and clothes are out of date”. Volha Shcharstabitava says how she visited the distribution centre in Hrodna.

“It is a sort of a travelling shop I saw in my village as a child. They claim they have documents and wholesale prices. But their prices are slightly lower than than in department stores. They offer clothes that were popular 10 years ago. Why should I sell them?” the sole trader asked. Representatives of the authorities didn't find what to answer.