Alexander Lukashenko signed a decree from which only Russian traders of fake documents will benefit

On July 1, Decree No. 222 “On the regulation of entrepreneurial activity and the sale of goods by individual entrepreneurs and other individuals” came into force in Belarus. According to the entrepreneurs themselves, this is another step by the authorities to destroy small businesses.

According to Lukashenka's new decree, from July 1, individual entrepreneurs are required to have certificates and documents for all goods that they will import into Belarus from the countries of the Customs Union. These are primary accounting documents, obligatory details of a cash receipt, invoices and other documents without which entrepreneurs have been working for twenty years. According to Anatoly Shumchenko, chairman of the public organization of entrepreneurs Perspektiva, the requirement for certification from the point of view of retail trade is impossible: the availability of these documents depends not on entrepreneurs, but on suppliers. And since small businesses operate in Russia and Kazakhstan without any accompanying documents, where do these pieces of paper come from? From the point of view of Shumchenko, only Russia will benefit from the next initiative of the Belarusian authorities, where companies have already appeared that sell fake accompanying documents - especially for Belarusians.

In addition, from July 1, the exclusive right to import radio, television, video and household appliances and other goods was transferred to the state - this is called the introduction of the institution of a special importer in the interests of protecting the economic interests of the state. Again, Belarusian entrepreneurs who will no longer be able to trade in imported goods will suffer from this.

Now entrepreneurs are hastily selling off the remnants of goods purchased before July 1, and are thinking about how to survive in the new conditions. On Monday, they held a forum in Minsk with the loud title “The choice of entrepreneurs is a civilized modern market economy,” but with a simple question: “How to live on?” Entrepreneurs hope for direct negotiations with the Lukashenka administration without the intervention of government officials. Although the same decree 222 was signed by Lukashenka, and not by the prime minister at all. And the whole fight against entrepreneurs has been conducted at the personal suggestion of Lukashenka for a long time - ever since he publicly called entrepreneurs "lousy fleas" back in the mid-nineties.