From November 1, the Vitebsk State Standard Inspectorate will carry out monitoring at the trading places of individual entrepreneurs selling light industry products
Despite the fact that the effective dates of the Technical Regulation of the Customs Union "On the Safety of Light Industry Products" have been postponed twice, many entrepreneurs are still not ready for the new trade rules within the CU. One of the reasons for the disregard of the document's requirements by some entrepreneurs is the lack of clarity in the certification procedure for light industry products. The NGO "Association of Employers and Entrepreneurs" together with the trade union "Sadrużnasc" initiated a seminar on this topic.
Representatives of the Economics Committee of the Regional Executive Committee, the Trade and Services Department of the Regional Executive Committee, the Vitebsk Center for Standardization, Metrology and Certification, the Vitebsk Regional Inspectorate of Gosstandart, the Vitebsk Regional Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology, and the Tax Inspectorate took part in the event.
As noted by Viktor Yakunenkov, Head of the Entrepreneurship Development Department of the Economics Committee of the Regional Executive Committee, seminars have been held before, not only in Vitebsk but also in Novopolotsk. They were informational rather than discussion-based. Their main goal was to explain who and where conducts the certification procedure, how it proceeds, and how much it costs.
Since July 1, 2012, technical regulations of the Customs Union "On the Safety of Light Industry Products" (this is one of the 31 technical regulations adopted by the three states) have been in effect in Belarus, Russia, and Kazakhstan. This means that by law, for a year and a half, entrepreneurs have been required to have documents for light industry goods that confirm the product's compliance with the technical regulations. A transitional period was provided for by a decision of the CU Commission, during which legal entities and individual entrepreneurs had the right to sell products, applying the requirements of previously effective national legislation and conformity assessment documents issued for them before the introduction of technical regulations. By a decision of the State Committee for Standardization of the Republic of Belarus, the introduction of technical regulations for individual entrepreneurs was postponed. However, as noted by Sergey Mikhalochkin, Head of the Department for Conformity Assessment of Products and Services of the VCCSMS, during this time only a few individuals applied to the certification body for testing product samples.
— The consumer has the right to buy quality and safe goods, as well as to know minimal information about them, — Sergey Mikhalochkin noted, in particular. — If a seller buys goods from official manufacturers and wholesalers, they will not have problems with certification. Those who supply counterfeit products without documents are worried. And how can we talk about the impossibility of fulfilling the requirements set by the CU legislation, if many have not even tried to go through the procedure.
In turn, entrepreneurs complain that in the places where they make purchases, no documents are provided, and in Moscow markets, there have even appeared advertisements such as “We do not give documents to Belarusians”. Why should the final link, the entrepreneur, not the manufacturer, certify the products? Where to start the certification procedure, where can one find a step-by-step instruction? These are constant questions in the small private business environment. And if the answer to the first question is not within the competence of the seminar participants, then the latter were given exhaustive answers.
Since the technical regulations came into force, significant changes have occurred at the Vitebsk Center for Standardization. The laboratory for testing light industry products has received accreditation and has become the only one in the region where such tests can be carried out in full.
— Our laboratory is equipped with the latest equipment, which can be used for certification of all types of products, — noted Sergey Mikhalochkin. — During this time, the Vitebsk Center for Standardization has received more than a hundred inquiries regarding product certification and declaration. Everyone received a consultation.
So, the certification process is as follows. An individual entrepreneur fills out an application (a sample can be found on the VCSSMS website). He may not have supporting documents for the goods, but can attach a list of goods declared for certification, signed, with or without a seal. A center specialist goes to the site and verifies the list with what is available, selects samples that are sent for testing, which are carried out within a week. Based on the results, a certificate of conformity is issued. Undergoing certification are underwear, corsetry, bed linen, and first-layer hosiery products.
The following items are subject to declaration: second and third layer clothing, knitted fabrics, second layer leather and fur products, hosiery, headwear, and footwear. When declaring, the applicant selects samples themselves and takes them to the laboratory for testing, then supplements the declaration and registers it with the certification body.
Testing is carried out on the goods of each manufacturer. For laboratory research, the maximum number of samples is five items, of which four will be returned. One item will be transferred to the testing center for chemical and biological research and will not be returned. Testing can be carried out not only on the product itself but also on the material it is made from (three square meters are required).
Prices for laboratory testing can be found at VTsSMS.
The indicators for which products need to be tested are specified in the technical regulations. The fewer indicators, the cheaper the procedure.
As noted by Oksana Murashkevich, acting head of the Vitebsk Regional Inspectorate of the State Committee for Standardization of the Republic of Belarus, from November 1, monitoring will be carried out at the trading places of entrepreneurs selling light industry goods. This is a form of supervision consisting of observation and analysis to assess the actual state of the object for compliance with current legislation. In other words, the purpose of monitoring is to study and analyze the situation again, and to issue recommendations to entrepreneurs for eliminating violations. Monitoring does not involve the use of powers applied during inspections.
— I want to draw the attention of individual entrepreneurs, — emphasized Oksana Murashkevich, — the requirements contained in the technical regulations of the Customs Union are not new for trade. Our national legislation provides for the need for product labeling for the consumer (where and by whom it was produced, shelf life, composition, and so on). This is stated in the Law "On Consumer Protection", as well as in STB 1400. Do today what you are obliged to do by national law: provide the buyer with safe and high-quality products. If the goods are legal, safe, and of high quality, then there is nothing to fear.
Irina AZEVICH, "Vitbichi"