Victar Marhelau: Situation with individual entrepreneurs is favorable to those who remain at markets

There are few chances that Belarusan individual entrepreneurs will be able to stand up for their stance in confrontation with the state.

Many Belarusan individual entrepreneurs haven’t started working yet since it’s impossible to work in accordance with the new rules. However, in the end of the week Aliaksandr Lukashenka made a number of statements where he made it clear that he won’t make concussions to individual entrepreneurs, claiming that such concussion was made last year when the Decree No.222 was postponed till 2016 and individual entrepreneurs could have prepared for the innovations.

Let us recall that starting from 1 January 2016 the Decree No.222 came into force. This Decree bans selling products of light industry, imported from the countries of the Customs Union without the accompanying documents. At the same time, the majority of Russian suppliers refuse to issue documents on the origin of products or provide fake certificates, which leads to fines and confiscation of goods from the Belarusian individual entrepreneurs.

Will individual entrepreneurs be able to prove their case to the authorities? How will the situation be solved? These and other questions the “EuroBelarus” Information Service asked Victar Marhelau, the Co-Chair of the Republican Confederation of Entrepreneurship.

- After Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s statements and a number of organized meetings the optimism has decreased. As far as I understand, one party carried out the work on a number of issues. However, the primary position voiced by the state representatives proves that it will be very hard work. I wouldn’t say that there is understanding and desire to quickly solve problems.

- Thus, the authorities stand their ground and don’t plan to abolish the Decree No.222, do they?

- It’s true. At least for now this variant isn’t on the table.

- At the same time, the postponing of the Decree as it happened last year is also impossible, isn’t it?

- Yes, it is. There were variants with the suspension of the Decree. For example, the authorities could introduce moratorium to control the implementation of this Decree and to introduce amendments and make a clear instruction for self-employed entrepreneurs – that was the suggestion of the business community. I can’t say for sure that this suggestion will be heard; the interdepartmental working group is being formed, its agenda is clear, but somehow it all is happening really slowly.

- What is the best way-out for self-employed entrepreneurs who used to sell the products of light industry?

- There is no easy answer, you know. Now we are sending letters regarding the decision of the Council of Ministers, where they suggest banning the trade of second hand goods – clothes and footwear. We have sent our objections, but I have no idea of how the ministers are going to react.

- I.e. these are the new spheres that they want to crackdown on self-employed entrepreneurs, aren’t them?

- Yes. They want to ban such trade at markets. I don’t see any sense in that: if they can sell goods in shops, why isn’t it possible at markets? The authorities justify the initiative claiming that if it’s passed it will be easier for the Belarusian light industry to sell goods. But at what price?

- It turns out that the state cannot stop introducing these banning initiatives. But why does it need them? What is the profit?

- Nobody’s going to count the profit. Now we are all carried away with the problem of individual entrepreneurs because it has aggravated; but this is not the only problem. And the situation with individual entrepreneurs is profitable to those who remain at markets. It’s for you to decide, who gains the biggest profit out of it.