Report on consumer market situation in Belarus

It is essential to draw special attention to goods of prime necessity and socially important goods, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he heard out a report on the consumer market situation in Belarus on 26 May.

“Despite the overall situation in the retail segment and so on is quite okay, I would like to listen to your assessment of the situation on the consumer market. I also want to listen to your projections concerning the development of the consumer market, major trends of this development, especially as far as pricing is concerned. I would like you to focus on goods of prime necessity and socially important goods which are essential for people, especially amid the epidemic,” the head of state said.

According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, he often told the Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade and other agencies that they should not just watch the situation with growing prices from the sidelines. “You should not just watch this situation from the sidelines. We must analyze the situation, interfere and improve it, if necessary,” he said.

“Don’t think that the market will regulate everything. We have already worked in market conditions for some time, and we know that not everything is regulated this way. This case is special. Look at how countries with advanced market relations closed their borders, Russia even banned the import of fuel,” the Belarusian leader said.

“They regulate prices, banned the export of personal protective equipment - face masks, respirators, disinfectants, and so on. And I do not judge them for it. They are taking care of the interests of their people,” the president added.

The head of state deemed it necessary to keep an eye on the developments on the consumer market, to make decisions, and to interfere in certain processes, of necessary. “I think that in the today’s situation we cannot just watch from the sidelines. We must interfere in certain processes on the consumer market if necessary,” Aleksandr Lukashenko believes.

Minister of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade Vladimir Koltovich reported on the efforts to saturate the consumer market and to keep prices under control. “The main thing is that today, in spite of everything (first of all, in spite of external treats), the situation with the availability of goods and with prices on the domestic market is manageable, foreseeable, and stable,” he said.

“So, there is no deficit, isn’t there?” Aleksandr Lukashenko wondered.

“There is neither deficit nor hype,” Vladimir Koltovich assured.

The meeting was attended by Chairman of the State Control Committee Leonid Anfimov, First Vice Premier Dmitry Krutoy, Agriculture and Food Minister Ivan Krupko, and Deputy Head of the Belarus President Administration Valery Belsky.