MINSK, 10 June (BelTA) – A new bill regulating online trade is currently being developed in Belarus, BelTA has learned from the air of the Belarus 1 TV channel.
Belarusian Deputy Minister of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade Svetlana Korotkevich noted that the e-commerce sector in Belarus has been developing rapidly. “Over the past five years, the number of online stores has almost tripled. In 2024, online sales accounted for nearly 12% of the country’s total retail turnover,” Svetlana Korotkevich said. According to projections, the share of online trade could reach 30% by 2030.
Given the sector’s rapid growth, the authorities see a need to improve the legislative framework governing e-commerce. “Work in this area is currently underway. We are aware of the existing issues. Earlier this year, the Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade established a working group comprising all relevant government agencies and stakeholders involved in online trade. We are reviewing all issues related to conducting this business in Belarus. We have already prepared a new draft law and submitted it to the government for consideration. I believe that additional criteria will also be introduced to address the monopolization of the online retail market by major players and help protect the development of traditional offline retail,” she said.
Svetlana Korotkevich outlined other priorities that are expected to be reflected in the document. “This is exactly what the President has said: online trade should work for the benefit of the country. This concerns not only marketplaces but all online platforms. We want this activity to be beneficial for the state, businesses, and consumers, regardless of whether it involves the sale of goods or the provision of services online,” Svetlana Korotkevich emphasized.
The bill will also address consumer rights protection and the collection of statistical data on online trade. “While drafting the bill, we analyzed a vast amount of information and examined various regulatory approaches. We studied the experience of China, Kazakhstan, and Russia, which faced the need to regulate online trade earlier and have already developed their own solutions in this area,” she added.
Deputy Taxes and Levies Minister Svetlana Yeskova noted that the draft law does not introduce any major innovations in taxation. “Our goal is to create equal conditions for all market participants and ensure that foreign online platforms selling goods in Belarus pay the taxes they are required to pay in the country,” Svetlana Yeskova said.
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