First day of Decree No. 222: entrepreneurs ready to take square

Entrepreneurs discuss strategy for further actions.

Yesterday Decree No. 222 of Aliaksandr Lukashenka came into effect. According to it, traders must have special certificates for every unit of goods being sold. Otherwise, the monitoring bodies threat to impose huge fines or seize property.

On March 1 entrepreneurs came to work, but did not sell anything, only hold meetings and discussed further course of action. Now and then emotional pleas to take a square are heard, Radio Svaboda reports.

The biggest market Zhdanovichy, Minsk, was closed. Only few pavilions worked in once crowded shopping centers: "Parking", "Zerkalo", "Impuls", "Atlantika", "Siluet", "Ekspobel", "Kupalovskij", "Podzemny Gorod".

Entrepreneurs say that it is almost impossible to get accompanying documents in required volumes: more than a half of goods is acquired at wholesale markets in Russia, where no certificates are provided.

Besides, the bodies concerned did not meet traders' request to extend the deadline for residual stock sale -goods imported before July 1, when Aliaksandr Lukashenka signed Decree No. 222. As a result more than a half of goods in malls now are illegal.

One of the activists of entrepreneur's movement Viachaslau Pilipuk says that representatives of supervisory, fiscal and control services appeared. They tried to prevent unauthorized actions and now try to persuade people to start working. They say that at first nobody will punish for the absence of documents, there are no reasons to worry about.

Entrepreneurs do not believe such promises, requiring a written confirmation from government officials that there will be no repressions. At least they can bring the paper to court. But verbal promises are out of power - it is already known from past fruitless negotiations between the government and individual entrepreneurs.

There was a protest held in Zhdanovichy market: entrepreneurs failed to sell residual stock and not received required certification did not start their work, Nasha Niva reports. One of Minsk entrepreneurs' leaders Aliaksandr Makaeu was detained. He spoke at a spontaneous meeting.

The same situation is in the regions. Homel entrepreneurs cease work unless imposed requirements for confirmation of goods are cancelled. Otherwise, they will cease their activity and will be registered in the Employment Center as unemployed.

Three largest markets selling cloths were closed in Brest. The most "friendly" one behind the Central Department Store had only one pavilion with mobile accessories working, at the Warsaw's there were opened pavilions with carriages, bicycles, there were sold kitchen furniture, and only one pavilion with expensive costumes worked. "Lagoon" shop, with its good range of goods, looked more crowded but it was only first impression.

Even two largest Skidelski and South markets were closed in Hrodna. On the last day of winter the Yuzhny market was extremely overcrowded - there were huge traffic jams on the entrance, people were buying things like it was the last chance to do it. Yesterday, most pavilions were empty, Belarusian Partisan reports.

On March 1 Vitsebsk markets reminded of post-apocalyptic sight: series of closed shutters, undressed mannequins, and solitary buyers reading announcements left by businessmen, Euroradio reports.

Half announcements said pavilion owners' were "on holidays". Many "left for goods", some had a "day off" or frankly announced they suspended their job until the circumstances would be clarified.

It should be reminded that Belarus has recently held Entrepreneurs Forum, where the government put an end to hopes of entrepreneurs to resolve the conflict taking into account their views: on March 1 a sensational Decree No. 222 comes into effect and it will be forbidden to trade without proper accompanying documents. In case of violations entrepreneurs will be fined Br9 million and goods will be confiscated.

Over the past few months there were held mass checks and confiscations.