Anatol Shumchanka: When a person is deprived of the last he has, the consequences are unpredictable

If the decree on regulation of entrepreneurial activity and realization of goods is signed, it will mean a catastrophe for the small business.

 Republican Public Association “Perspective” announced a signature-gathering campaign for the appeal to the President asking to abstain from signing the decree on regulation of entrepreneurial activity and realization of goods by the individual entrepreneurs.

The main threat for the individual entrepreneurs lies in the compulsive rule to have accompanying forms for the goods. “Introduction of the accompanying forms is the term we can’t fulfill. It is wrong and poorly worked out; this measure won’t bring positive results, but rather will escalate far too complicated situation”, - is said in the appeal to Lukashenka, which the individual entrepreneurs in the markets and shopping centres are signing.

Is there any hope that the authorities will hear the entrepreneurs? EuroBelarus Information Service had a talk with Anatol Shumchanka, the leader of the RPA “Perspective”.

- Does the signature-gathering campaign represent the last possible form of protest against the approaching changes?

- So far we are not talking about protests. Signature-gathering is rather a type of fight and a way to make the authorities hear our position. This decree can leave most entrepreneurs unprovided.

But we are not going to stop. We are gathering for yet another forum of individual entrepreneurs in June, and before the end of May we are planning to hold a traditional contest “The region of the month 2013”, where we are going to study the opinion of the entrepreneurs regarding the changes that we are expecting.

- You are saying that he majority of entrepreneurs can be left with no money. Does it mean that you are making calculations as to what will be the consequences of this decree for the small business?

- We have made these calculations long ago. Let me just mention that according to our estimations, with the new terms, 80 thousand entrepreneurs out of a hundred thousand will be unable to continue their work. In 2015 only 10 thousand will be able to perform retail trade with the single tax pay, which is 7 times fewer entrepreneurs than we have now.

The prices will grow twice, or even thrice for the consumers, and in 2015-2016 the state will lose up to 1.124 trillion rubles of annual income.

For the small business, it will be a catastrophe.

- When you are trying to reach out the authorities, do they react in some way?

- The first reaction we’ve received was from the president at the meeting in February, when he was making snide remarks about me. Active consultations between the authorities and the entrepreneurs in Minsk and Minsk regions are going on. The deputies are trying to explain new working conditions to the entrepreneurs, as many of the entrepreneurs do not even know that starting from July 1 they are to face changes. People don’t believe that they can be left without work and don’t understand that they won’t be able to fulfill all the requirements set by the new legislative acts.

- What poses the biggest threat to the existence of the individual entrepreneurship?

- The request about the accompanying forms to the goods from the countries of the Customs Union can’t be fulfilled; such forms do not even exist in Russia. This is the main threat, as most Belarusan entrepreneurs mostly carry their goods from Russia. When we are asking for the return of VAT, nobody wants to deal with us, as Russians face counter inspections. 

Despite the decree No. 4, nobody is coordinating normative acts which are regulating entrepreneurial activity. Such actions of the Belarusan authorities will only further escalate confrontation and local conflicts.

- Are you really hoping that Lukashenka or his administration will hear the voice of the individual entrepreneurs?

- I would like to say that it is thanks to “Perspective” that the plans to introduce certificates for goods are postponed for a year and a half.

They say “no pains, no gains”; so we are trying to get the problem off the ground.

But this way or another, there will be struggle. We want a civilized constructive dialog; we want to sit down at the negotiating table to resolve the problem. When a person is deprived of the last things he has, the consequences are unpredictable.