To break even, entrepreneurs need to sell 140 dresses a month

In two weeks, small Belarusian businesses may stop working, stop paying rent and taxes. There are several reasons for this. One of the main reasons is the Decree 222 "On the dangers of light industry". It does not allow to sell the goods without certificates or declarations of quality after March 1, 2015.

"I called six firms to find goods with documents in Russia. As soon as they heard that I was from Belarus, they hung up on me, Svyatlana Kalachova from Homiel is emotional. She sells pajamas. She said that because of the documents the cost of goods increases manyfold. When I name the price of 250,000 for pajamas, I have to give customers some water to calm down. I called the dealer and he says: price has gone up, 460 thousand rubles for the cheapest pajamas. Plus 20% mark-up here and I need to put out my price of 800,000 for a pair of pajamas. Listen, this is for whom? Maybe you, officials, have such salaries, and in Homiel,we don't! I am running out of water to calm the buyers down!"

In addition to problems with documents, entrepreneurs complain that after the devaluation rent of premises increased - in some cases by 50%. Also, people have less money and no sales.

"In January, I sold 15 pairs of shoes, before the New Year we had the same situation, no sales! Impoverished people, besides, war in Ukraine, the devaluation - everything is interconnected and affects us," says the business lady Zhanna from Minsk. Her shop is located in the shopping center Europe. New collections is out of the question - she's not bought them for a long time. Zhanna says that this situation will primarily affect the entrepreneurs:

"Customers will go to Moscow, Europe - everything is open. And we are left without work. We give jobs to sellers, and now it will not happen."

Zhanna from Homiel sells women's clothes in one of the shopping centers. She says that in the past months she paid for rent, utilities, taxes and seller wages about 55 millions.

"In January, I earned 51 millions, I have dresss costing 250-400 thousand rubles. Sales fell drastically. What I do not earn, I take out of the pocket. But how long do I have to do it?" To break even, Zhanna needs to sell 140 dresses for 400 thousand rubles. The woman said that from March 1 she is not going to work, since she is not going to watch her goods being confiscated for violating the law.

Entrepreneurs from Polatsk plan to stop paying rent, go to Russia or Ukraine, where they do not need any documents, and sell goods through friends.

"We in Polatsk will not go to work, stop paying rent and taxes. Let the government feel it is losing money," adds a female entrepreneur from Vitsebsk region. Many entrepreneurs from the regions of Belarus are going to follow her example.