MINSK, 30 March (BelTA) – A broad choice of Belarusian goods should be available in Belarusian shops, BelTA learned from Belarusian Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade Minister Aleksei Bogdanov.
Aleksei Bogdanov said: “We are working hard on putting more Belarusian goods on shelves of our shops. I’d like to note that we managed to accomplish it last year when we reversed a 12-year-long trend. We continue working towards the same goal this year. It is very important to offer a broad choice to consumers, including products of Belarusian make. We would like to focus on non-foods because [Belarusian] foods are broadly represented as it is. Their share is over 75%. But the share of non-foods should grow faster. The work of not only retailers but our manufacturers is very important in this regard.”
According to Executive Director of the Association of Retail Chains of Belarus Natalia Shablinskaya, retail chains intend to increase the percentage of Belarusian foods in their sales. She stressed that Belarusian goods will be prioritized.
There are no problems with imports today, the antimonopoly regulation and trade minister said. “Certain goods used to be unavailable due to sanctions. But last year we promptly refocused on friendly countries. At present the broad choice of goods we see in retail comes from alternative sources. The Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade Ministry and the State Customs Committee constantly monitor the situation to prevent attempts to inflate prices for imports. On the whole, the situation is stable,” Aleksei Bogdanov remarked.
