Customers in Belarus expressed dissatisfaction over a store's low prices, citing a " delay" in service delivery.
The Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade (MART) in Belarus has taken a significant step to ensure consumer safety and protect rights by implementing stricter criteria for the sale of expired products.
During inspections conducted across various cities, including Mogilev, Vitebsk, Minsk, and Grodno, it was found that a staggering 88% of the network's stores were violating the law by selling expired goods. Among the items identified were meat products, poultry meat semi-finished products, cheese, cookies, vegetables, and other products.
As a result, MART has concluded that it is necessary to tighten requirements for trading organizations to prevent the sale of expired products. Over 1,100 recommendations were sent to eliminate identified problems from January to June. However, it remains unclear what specific actions will be taken to enforce these tightened requirements.
In addition to the issue of expired products, MART found that overpricing and non-compliance with the mandatory list of goods are also problems among trading organizations. More than 350 guilty parties were held administratively liable.
While the legal entity "Mayak" (ZAO "Dobronom") was inspected, it is not specified if it will be subject to the tightened requirements. The inspections were triggered by complaints received by MART from concerned citizens, and about 230 orders to prohibit the sale of products, including those with expired shelf life, were issued.
Stricter criteria will now be used to make decisions to suspend the operation of trading facilities if similar facts are discovered. This move is part of a broader effort to improve governance and adherence to trade standards in Belarus, given the ongoing export and trade restrictions related to sanctions and regulatory measures as per EU and other international bodies.
This shift compels trading organizations to enhance their internal quality control and stock rotation practices, leading to safer market conditions and higher consumer confidence. However, further specific governmental or trade publications from Belarus would be needed to obtain precise data on enforcement statistics or formal statements from the Ministry.
[1] Source for ongoing export and trade restrictions: Belarus Digital News
[2] Source for EU sanctions: EU Council Regulation
[3] Source for international sanctions: U.S. Treasury Department Sanctions
- The tightened requirements implemented by MART, aimed at preventing the sale of expired goods, could have a significant impact on various industries such as retail and finance, given their involvement in the distribution and management of expiry dates for products.
- In light of the ongoing efforts by MART to enforce stricter trade standards, the finance industry, particularly banks and investment firms, may need to adjust their risk assessment strategies to account for the potential implications of non-compliance within the retail sector.
