We Are Bandits Who Give Salaries to Bureaucrats

Individual entrepreneurs (IEs) intend to continue protest actions on February 28.

Entrepreneurs and politicians took another meeting in Minsk. About 500 people participated. Not all of them, of course, are IEs. There were also those who came because of solidarity. Tut.by asked representatives of a small business how they survived.

IE from Barysau: "I am about to retire. Who is going to hire me?"

IEs of Barysau made up the largest group at the meeting. For example, 52-year old Aksana Baradach, has a degree in teaching, has been trading in the local market for about 15 years. She sells men's footwear and cheap tracksuits. Last year she used to leave for Moscow to buy up goods, her average profit equaled to Br8-10 million.

- I have not been working for two months already. I stay at home, take tablets and I stammer. But I want to work, we claim work. Decree No. 222 only increases prices for goods, an IE says.

Aksana says her husband left for Moscow. But not to buy up goods, but to work on a construction site to support the family, "unless his wife has work."

- Why are we called bandits on TV? We are a community, but not profiteers. We do not sell goods with 300%, it is not true, a woman resentfully says. - Do not spit at people. A lot of people work with IEs.

- We are bandits who give salaries to bureaucrats, another IE is kidding.

Aksana says that tax inspectors should check those who "visit plants and sell their goods there."

- They go with to Moscow, procure goods, and then visit plants, health centers, nursery schools and sell them. Thus, they do not pay VAT, rent and do not pay to the NSSF (National Social Security Fund). They need to be checked, Aksana Baradach is convinced.

Another IE from Barysau tells that she used to sell women's clothes and then adds only 10% of entrepreneurs work now in local markets.

- It looks like we are of work in March as well, a woman says. - I am about to retire. Who is going to hire me? I want to pay tax as usual and to work with no problems. We want us to be heard, so we stand here with wet feet.

Her colleague Angie and her husband sold menswear.

- It is a really complex situation. My husband and me work in the market, and both of us have a higher education. He used to be a principal at school, and I was a nurse. In 90s we started to work in the market. But now we have no salary and eat away money we have managed to save to buy new goods. Our limit is $100 a month, the IE notes. - The president wonders why we should eat meat. So, now we eat only potatoes, cabbages and carrots. Most of us have summer houses and we can preserve fruits and vegetables. This is the thing that helps us to survive.

The entrepreneur tells that she visited wholesale bases in Minsk.

- Let's take man's jeans as an example. Most of them are brought from the market in Lyublino, Moscow, a woman says. - I don't know how they managed to get certificates. Before the New Year I sold jeans at Br300 000, now I can procure them at bases at Br600 000. And it is a bulk purchase bulk purchase.

IE from Slonim: "Nobody wants to buy men's underpants for Br65 000"

An entrepreneur Valiantsina Skryabina, Slonim, do not trade either. She used to sell underwear and now she sells it with documents. The woman resents that documentation has significantly increased the price.

- I used to sell underwear for Br45-50 000, now I have to sell it at Br65 000. And no one wants to buy it, the IE complaints.

- Where should people take money from?, another entrepreneur from Slonim wonders. - Sellers in stores earn Br2 million.

The woman was also complaining about goods of domestic light industry. She offered to grant Bellegprom to the Chinese, they would make more bright clothes.

Valiantsina Skryabina tells that she has no "castle", but has bought a house in the country. She has to keep goats, 60 hens to support her daughters and three grandchildren.

Viktar Marchyk, member of Perspective public association, was among those who came from Slonim to the meeting. He says most of entrepreneurs still do not work.

"We still have much residual stocks left. It helps us to pay the rent"

As we can see Minsk entrepreneurs at the meeting make up almost the half of all the present. They were less resented amid their colleagues from the regions. Some of them have already received documents and continue to work, but, nevertheless, they came to the rally.

- We have documents, a woman says. - It will be really hard to get documentation every time. We pay VAT of 20%, then testing takes Br2.346 million. Every delivery must have a certificate.

- Besides, the tax inspection may find fault in every document, a man adds. - We imported Russian goods, we have bills of lading. But it costs money. The price increase will be equal to 50%.

One of entrepreneurs complaints that she cannot afford higher prices, because "people will not buy anything; the purchasing power has significantly fallen."

Entrepreneurs from Minsk say they "have large discounts and sales, because of low purchasing power."

- We have much residual stocks. It helps us to be afloat, they say. - We can earn money on residual stocks. We can sell them to cover current payments.