Enhanced Penalties for Late Payments: Necessitating Stricter Regulations via MART Decree in Belarus
Starting from July 1, 2025, Belarus is taking significant steps to improve product standards, protect consumer rights, and ensure adherence to trade and sanitary regulations. The Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade has announced a series of measures aimed at addressing declining product quality, non-compliance by trade organizations, and the sale of expired products.
At the heart of these reforms is the introduction of the "People's Control" initiative. This mechanism empowers consumers and civil society to actively participate in oversight, increasing transparency and accountability among traders and producers. The initiative may potentially utilise social media platforms like TikTok for monitoring purposes.
The ministry has taken action against over 350 responsible parties for non-compliance, and decisions to suspend the operation of trade facilities will be made under tougher criteria if non-compliance with the above requirements is discovered. The ministry has also concluded a need for stricter requirements for trade organizations regarding non-compliance with the mandatory product list and price inflation.
From January to June, over 1,100 recommendations were issued by the Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade to address identified issues. However, trade organizations in Belarus have been increasingly ignoring these recommendations. In response, the ministry has issued around 230 orders to halt product sales, including expired ones.
Mistakes in product quality are being corrected in the moment, but trade subjects resume violations afterwards. To combat this, the ministry has concluded a need for stricter requirements for trade organizations regarding the sale of expired products.
The "People's Control" initiative focuses on addressing poor-quality vegetables in particular, but the stricter enforcement and regulatory tightening are expected to extend to related sectors like dietary supplements to prevent circumvention of quality controls.
Belarus has been classified as a "high risk" country in certain international trade contexts due to concerns including compliance with regulations. These new measures aim to address these concerns and improve Belarus's standing in the global trade arena.
In conclusion, the implementation of the "People's Control" initiative and the stricter enforcement of product quality and trade compliance regulations mark a significant shift in Belarus's approach to consumer protection and trade oversight. These steps are expected to lead to improved product standards, increased consumer trust, and a more transparent and accountable trade environment in Belarus moving forward.
Within the framework of the "People's Control" initiative, the ministry aims to utilize social media platforms for monitoring, focusing on areas like expired vegetable products. The stricter requirements, being implemented, are not limited to poor-quality vegetables but are also expected to extend to sectors like dietary supplements to ensure compliance and prevent quality control circumvention. The ministry's efforts to address non-compliance and poor product quality aim to improve Belarus's standings in the global finance and business arenas, addressing concerns raised about its high-risk status in international trade.
