Aliaksandr Taustyka: Sole traders should demand Belarus's withdrawal from Customs Union

Sole traders should put forward political demands.

According to some sources, the authorities decided to make concessions to small businessmen, but other sources say nothing was achieved. What is happening in actual fact? Aliaksandr Taustyka, an activist of the small business movement, shares his thoughts in the show “Talk with Kalinkina” on Belsat.

Sole traders threaten to take to streets from time to time, but no one was brave enough to gather near the dictator's administration so far. The cancellation of the decree on certification could be the least demand “without politics”.

“It is impossible to put forward a 'not political' demand. Some may dislike it, but if I had an opportunity to unite businessmen, I would demand the withdrawal of Belarus from the common economic and customs space of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus. There is a document and a state formation, papers are signed. But only Belarusian businessmen have problems,” Aliaksandr Taustyka says.

“Dear Belarusian government! You deal with the state's economy, but nothing new has been made in the last 5 years and no modern products have been exported. State-owned companies are ruined: people are being laid off, companies have debts to employees. Do you want to deal with the private sector after that? Your actions only destroy it. Changes are needed,” he added.

He says the decree that regulates activity of sole traders provides for a 1.5-fold increase in taxes for those selling goods without accompanying documents.