Kabiakou: Belarusian Goods Are Extremely Difficult To Sell

We are having the lowest share of sales of Belarusian goods since 2008.

In the first quarter of this year the share of sales of Belarusian goods was the lowest since 2008 – 65.7%, which included foodstuff products – 80.8%, non-food goods – 45.8%, Prime Minister Andrei Kabiakou said at the session of the Council of Ministers presidium in Minsk on Tuesday, interfax.by reports.

“In general, we have lost 3.2 percentage points compared to the same period last year,” – Andrei Kabiakou said.

According to him, amongst other reasons, that is due to the failure of a number of manufacturers to supply the distribution network with the required amount of products. This is the case of the confectionery Krasny Mozyranin, the open joint-stock company Konfa, The First Chocolate Company, energy-saving bulbs of the Brest Electric Plant, electrical equipment, limited range of fabrics and fabric articles of domestic market demand of the Vorsha Linen Mill, JSC Rechytsa Textile, watches of the Minsk Watch plant.

Also, the head of the government noted the problem with supplying the consumer market with laminate flooring and soap of the Hrodna Fat Plant.

According to Kabiakou, there is low marketing and advertising producers’ activity, the lack of interest in participating in the price discounts, sales and other events to promote the bakery, confectionery, caramels, vegetable oil, canned baby food.

“In general, there are a lot of issues with the producers and the trade on the range of products and the sales,” – the prime minister said.

At the same time Kabiakou said that Belarus has formed and is implementing an effective system to protect the domestic market. First of all it concerns the suppression of trafficking in counterfeit light industry goods. Sole traders are not allowed to sell goods without certificates and accompanying documents. There is tight control over observance of technical regulations, systematic inspections are being held. The purpose of this work is to ensure the protection of consumers’ legitimate rights to purchase quality goods.

Importers are obliged to pass sanitary examination on a number of goods. A new antimonopoly structure has been established by the president’s decision – the Ministry of Antitrust and Trade.

“We expect certain results from the work of this department, on the issues of the domestic market protection in particular,” – Kabiakou said.