MINSK, 14 July (BelTA) – The Belarusian government will soon report to me on fair pricing matters, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he met with a delegation of St. Petersburg led by Governor Alexander Beglov in Minsk on 14 July, BelTA learned.
“We do not refuse to work at the state level. I see that you started regulating prices not only on potatoes but in general on the so-called ‘borscht set’. Although we were criticized last year for regulating prices,” the head of state said. “We didn't regulate anything. We just wanted to set the rules. As I say to our ‘chief price supervisor’ there is no need to regulate anything. It is impossible now, in this chaos. What we need is fair prices.”
“We do not refuse to work at the state level. I see that you started regulating prices not only on potatoes but in general on the so-called ‘borscht set’. Although we were criticized last year for regulating prices,” the head of state said. “We didn't regulate anything. We just wanted to set the rules. As I say to our ‘chief price supervisor’ there is no need to regulate anything. It is impossible now, in this chaos. What we need is fair prices.”
“But I feel that the new government that was formed after the election began to be very flexible in this regard. I see that. People write to me every day. The press office analyzes everything and puts the reports on my desk. So get ready. I will expect you to report to me on fair prices,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said, addressing the Belarusian delegation at the meeting. Among them were First Deputy Prime Minister Nikolai Snopkov, Chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee Vladimir Kukharev.
In a conversation with the governor of St. Petersburg, the president touched upon various aspects of justice in trade. This is not only about prices but also about salaries. “It is no good when an owner can afford holidays on Cote d’Azur on $70,000 monthly salary while a cashier in his store is paid Br500-700 a month. Is he a good manager? Is that fair? No, it is unfair,” the head of state said.
On the other hand, pricing is influenced by profitability and production costs at enterprises, which can also be worked on. Aleksandr Lukashenko in this regard considers it possible to set a certain bar for producers, citing as an example a dairy processing enterprise that was the topic of his discussion with one of the regional governors. “On Saturday, one of the governors reported to me that he was working with a private company,” he said. “He told me that farmers are satisfied, wages are paid on time, prices are normal, the processing company is satisfied too.... This private company works in the dairy industry. Why can't we scale this system up? Everyone will be happy. Especially I. People will be pleased too.”
"No, the government wouldn't get from A to B. Well, I'm going to figure it out why they can't model the system on a typical farm, where, as I said, everyone is happy along the chain. This is all there it to price regulation. Someone fails to earn profits? It's your problem. Work with costs then. Profitability is also about costs. This is not only about selling prices, not only about extra profits in someone’s pockets,” Aleksandr Lukashenko added.
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