Events

MINSK, 18 February (BelTA) – Belarusian self-employed businessmen should not blackmail the authorities due to changing market conditions. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko made the statement at the government session held on 18 February to discuss the draft decree that will regulate merchandise sales by self-employed businessmen and other natural persons, BelTA has learned.

Alexander Lukashenko said: “Some politicians representing the entrepreneurship community, although I can hardly say they are politicians representing the best interests of self-employed businessmen, are trying to blackmail the authorities, including the president of the country. They’d better not make such statements in mass media because it may bite them. Trying to scare me is useless. We are not going to allow a maidan in Belarus”.

The President underlined that everything will be done in a civilized manner because self-employed businessmen are the most advanced stratum of the society, people, who look forward to all kinds of reforms. “Therefore, if you want to live the way people live in the West, let’s say, we will enable such conditions for you. If you want to live the maidan way — and I am sorry for bringing it up, I have no intention of interfering with Ukraine’s internal affairs, the comparison is just good — it won’t happen in Belarus,” said the head of state.

“I know you are not poor people and may order any kind of an article in the gutter media, but I advise you not to because the outcome may be totally different from what you expect. And tell all kinds of Shumchenko or whatever their names are to stay away from you. These people have nothing in common with you, they aim for totally different goals,” said the President.

Alexander Lukashenko underlined that the decision will be made while keeping in mind benefits for consumers, which are the Belarusian nation, benefits for the Belarusian state, and benefits for self-employed businessmen. The head of state admitted that the job of market vendors is a difficult one. “You have to travel to Moscow, stay on your knees before someone, bag and carry the merchandise here, argue for some discounts in order to secure affordable prices, then you have to sell the merchandise here regardless of whether the weather is frosty or boiling hot. The job is a difficult one, I don’t try to flatter you, and you may be satisfied with it. I don’t mind. But everything should be done in a civilized manner,” remarked the President.

Alexander Lukashenko stressed that it is inadmissible to try to play the government, suggesting delaying the decision. “Any temporary compromise decisions are inadmissible. We have made enough of them already,” said the head of state.

The President remarked that before signing the decree he would like to appreciate the depth of the processes going on in the entrepreneurship community. “If they are people, who scrap by, why do we have to pick on them?! If these people are extremely rich and can support the state in some way, we will ask them to share a bit with the state once they get rich, once they are well-established at the expense of the Belarusian nation and the state because they are consumers,” said Alexander Lukashenko.

“I don’t need external motivations like the Customs Union that makes me put a noose on part of the Belarusian nation. I don’t need a customs union like that where we have to noose people, who work hard today, ” added the President.

Alexander Lukashenko remarked he was referring to 60,000 self-employed businessmen, who specialize in importing and selling merchandise. He reminded that when he met with market vendors in a Minsk marketplace back in 2005, an agreement on how self-employed businessmen will work was made, a special decree was adopted and it has been in effect since. At the same time, according to the President, Belarusian self-employed businessmen claim they can no longer work like that due to external circumstances. Alexander Lukashenko underlined that he would like to get to the bottom of the problem, hear out sufficient information from participants of the session in order to make the final decision.