“Sellers are in a panic, shops are closing, grandmothers are afraid to trade in the market”

The day after the president’s decision to ban price increases, the decree was enshrined in a directive “on the inadmissibility of price increases.” The document lists 370 types of goods: from food and clothing to cars and various equipment. Large-scale raids on shops began, criminal cases were initiated against entrepreneurs who did not have time to correct the cost of goods.

On October 19, details of a decree on a new price regulation system appeared: it is possible to increase the selling price of goods only in agreement with government agencies.

And on October 26, Belarusians noticed that retail outlets began to close in some cities, the markets were empty.

The Belarusians themselves were divided into two camps. On one side of the barricades are sellers. On the other hand, buyers.

We listened to the views of both sides.

Stepan lives in Minsk. Man with both hands for transformation.

“After the presidential decree, many large supermarkets immediately lowered prices by 30 percent, or even 50 percent,” says Stepan. – One chain of stores held out to the last, did not obey. Recently I was looking for Dallmayr Pomodoro coffee. On the market and in the online store, this coffee costs 25 rubles (620 Russian rubles) per 500 grams. And in that supermarket its price is 50 (1480 rubles). Their pasta is expensive – 4-5 (100-125 Russian rubles), while the normal price is 1.43 (35.5). Only after the top managers of the Sosedi network were detained did the price of coffee in the market also fall from 50 to 34 rubles. Probably scared.

– “Neighbours” closed after the arrest of top managers?

— No, they work. Detention in Belarus is a normal way to show the strength of power, no one was surprised. The managers themselves are to blame: the decree on prices was issued from afar, but they did not budge.

I fully agree with the President. There is something wrong with prices. My grandmother used to say that before all the big stores were state-owned. This meant that if a kilogram of meat costs 1 ruble 20 kopecks, then this price will be throughout the country. And when the state gave the market to private traders, a mess began.

– When everything fell in price, did the hype begin in the stores?

– There is no excitement. And people don’t have much money to buy even at a cheap price.

There are rumors that small shops will not survive.

– In Minsk, there are no small shops anyway, monopoly large chains operate. But, by the way, small private traders have adequate prices, judging by the market, which is located near my house.

— Rising prices — a natural process in a crisis. Now it is difficult with suppliers and logistics.

— If the logistics were broken, prices would jump everywhere. So no, someone has normal prices. And when they began to delay the management of stores, their competitors immediately lowered the cost of their goods. It’s not about logistics, it’s about greed.

— What is the average salary of Belarusians?

– The average salary of an ordinary worker, salesman, consultant, cleaner, loader is 500-1000 rubles, which is 200-400 dollars. If prices are not too high, you can live on this money.

The individual entrepreneur Dmitry undertakes to object to the previous interlocutor: “Private business has come to an end. If prices are lowered, stores will lose profits. It will become unrealistic to recapture rent, employees will have to be fired and closed. Further, like a snowball: landlords, drivers, accountants and the rest will be left without income. The purchasing power of a huge part of the population will collapse, which will affect all economic structures. The budget will lose huge amounts of taxes. Hundreds of thousands of unemployed will begin to survive by committing offenses. Crime will rise. It won’t lead to anything good.”

Alexander lives in a village in the Gomel region. The man complains that their prices are much higher than in the city. And he approves Lukashenka’s decree.

“Marketers and private traders are going crazy, everything is not enough for them,” Alexander complains. “Maybe a new bill will regulate prices. If you think that all stores will close, it’s nonsense. Personally, I’m sick of not being able to buy cheap food in my village. Where has it been seen so that it would be cheaper for people to go to the city for bread, sugar, butter and milk. For example, sunflower oil in the city costs 4.20, and in the village 6.50. Ice cream in the city – 1.20, here – 2.50, chocolate in the city – 1.76, in the countryside 5.40. Sausages in our grocery store are 12-15 rubles, while everywhere 6-9 rubles. Sweets in the city – 8 – 14, in the countryside – 17 – 25. And this is not the whole list of prices. Taking into account expensive fuel, car maintenance, it’s still cheaper for me to buy in the city. Okay, something imported is getting more expensive, but flour, sugar, consumer goods should be at normal prices.

— Have the prices dropped in your village now?

“They lowered prices just yesterday. Goods on the shelves are without price tags. The cashier said they were checking.

Maxim is the owner of a grocery store in Brest. The man believes that such transformations will lead to the collapse of small businesses.

– In our store, we lowered prices out of harm’s way, although they have not yet come to us with checks. At this rate, we will go into a hard minus. Some products can no longer be purchased due to the fact that suppliers have suspended their shipment. The owners of private shops are still waiting, some are thinking of closing. We can still buy something, but the funds are barely enough, – says Maxim. — The older generation is pleased with the price reduction. They believe that “father did everything right.” The younger generation is more far-sighted and does not expect anything good from the situation.

In some cities of Belarus, markets and shopping centers were closed.

We hope that the state will “roll back” again, because the decision is too crazy. On the other hand, the state maintains the image of an iron institution that does not bend in the face of people’s discontent.

– How can it all end?

– Cheap goods will be one of the first to disappear, because the profit from them will be scanty. The desire to buy cheap from sellers is unlikely to arise, this is a meaningless turnover, which is subject to a separate tax.

Goods of different price categories will disappear. For example, there are products that are handled by a single specific supplier in the entire country. If it closes, then the goods will leave the market. I’m sure many dots won’t survive. This already happened many years ago, when IP-shnikov were suddenly obliged to hire only relatives. Some time later, this law was repealed.

– Beauty salons, fitness clubs are also required to lower prices?

– This is a different story. At the beginning of the month, a decree was issued obliging individual entrepreneurs to stupidly freeze prices for goods and services. If something is on sale, the promotion will not be cancelled. Then the state decided to change the decree: if prices for goods can rise, but hard low margins are introduced. That on services there was a ban to raise the price. Yesterday I was told about this by a friend who has a dance studio.

In short, there is no stability and certainty. You do not know which side to wait for the arrival. But this time we received a particularly heavy blow. Business colleagues are in a panic. Especially those who collected goods on credit.

Marina is an individual entrepreneur. Her business is related to trade. The woman explained point by point what she was waiting for entrepreneurs: “After the presidential decree, we all went into the red, there is no point in working. We are waiting for an increase in unemployment not only among individual entrepreneurs, but also among their employees, accountants. Retirees don’t care if people lose their jobs, so they’re happy with the price cut. What should we do? Now suppliers stop selling goods to IP-shniks. This means that products will soon disappear from the shelves. Already something is missing, just buyers have not yet understood. We hope that the goods will be delivered in the coming days.

Svetlana is going to close a point in the market in the Grodno region: “We are horrified by what is happening in the market. People climbed into bondage, took goods on credit, paid rent, paid taxes. We have huge monthly expenses. Buyers do not know the nuances, so they think that we are mad with fat.

Anna Stepanovna, sells vegetables at the market in the Minsk region: “When we heard that people were detained for raising prices, we got scared. Grandmothers threw their apples, tomatoes, cucumbers and hid. No one knows what price to set, they are afraid that they will come for them. You’ll be lucky if you just get fined.”

Nikolai decided to close a clothing store: “There is no point in working with such laws. At this rate, we will return back to the USSR, when monotonous goods hung in stores. Yes, first prices will fall, people will rejoice, and then everything will disappear. Salespeople are already afraid to go to work, because huge fines can fly in for the slightest violation, or you will even fall under the article.

Minsker Viktor has his own logic: “I understand that sanctions are a crisis. But why in this difficult time some should suffer, while others profit? Everyone must suffer – both buyers and sellers. The latter will suffer and adapt, not for the first time.”