Anatoly Shumchanka: My arrest is the result of my overactivity

The leader of “Perspective” was freed after a five-day administrative arrest and together with the other activists of the entrepreneurial movement invited to the session in the Ministry of Trade.

He was met by the “Perspective” activists, journalists, Uladzimir Niakliaeu, ex-candidate for presidential elections, youth activist Pavel Vinagradau and entrepreneur Ales Makaeu.

The leader of the most active entrepreneurial organization, which unites mostly small individual entrepreneurs from markets and business centres, told journalists that his arrest will by no means influence the further work of the “Perspective”.

“My arrest is the result of my overactivity – the strike on June 27 was prepared in two days and was unexpected for everyone” – he stated.

Anatol Shumchanka believes that individual entrepreneurs didn’t accept new terms of the game, suggested by the “decree of four” testifies to the fact that attempt of the authorities to scare entrepreneurial movement by arresting its leader failed.

He also reported that only few hours before his arrest he received a call from Moscow and got to know that he is invited to the July meeting of the Eurasian Economic Committee advisory council on the issue of introducing technical regulations for the Customs Union. He said that if this suggestion remains in force after his arrest, he will gladly accept it.

On June 28 entrepreneurs filed an appeal for protest demonstration on July 15 in Minsk, whereas the strike conducted on June 27 has achieved its aims only partially.

On July 9 the activists of the “Perspective” are invited to the enlarged session on the issue of technical regulations for the Customs Union into the Ministry of Trade. According to Viachaslau Pilipuk, the activist of the “Prospective”, “officials from the ministry realized the seriousness of the problem” after individual entrepreneurs directed their delegation to the Ministry of Trade on July 1. According to BelTA, Iryna Narkevich, Deputy Minister of Trade, hopes that “the initiative groups of the entrepreneurs will be open for sensible dialog”. She also agreed that the problem of certifying the veracity of the purchase of goods by the individual entrepreneurs does exist, but thinks that this is the problem of manufacturers, large providers, not the sole entrepreneurs. Iryna Narkevich promised that “the issue will be looked into before August 1”.