Contracts for the purchase of goods concluded before August 2 continue to be valid - A.Tur

August 4, Minsk /BELTA/. Contracts for the purchase of goods concluded before August 2 of the current year remain valid. This was announced to journalists on August 3 by Deputy Minister of Economy Andrei Tur, commenting on the Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 991 "On Certain Issues of Purchasing Goods in the Republic of Belarus," BELTA correspondent reports. "To avoid nervousness and panic among economic entities, they should understand that as of today, all contracts they have concluded before August 2 are valid and will remain in effect," Andrei Tur explained. According to the deputy minister, in the context of the global financial and economic crisis, the adoption of the resolution is considered an anti-crisis measure, "since there are now many intermediaries who, due to their difficult situation, take products from manufacturers and sell them to consumers or intermediate companies at completely different prices." This Council of Ministers resolution has been adopted to streamline this unified system of purchasing and selling goods. It does not apply to the purchase of goods directly from their manufacturers, nor to the acquisition of goods intended for export. The document's provisions also do not extend to the activities of individual entrepreneurs and individuals. Furthermore, the resolution does not cover goods whose procurement is regulated by separate legal acts (petroleum products, metal products, alcoholic beverages). Andrei Tur explained who an official trade representative is, with whom legal entities should now work: "This is an economic entity that interacts with a supplier based on a specific system of contractual relations." Thus, the deputy minister emphasized, nothing is stopping today: those who have contracts continue to work. In order to continue their activities, legal entities must submit an application to the relevant state administration bodies, regional executive committees, the Minsk City Executive Committee, the National Academy of Sciences, and industry bodies. State administration bodies, in turn, must form criteria for the economic justification of the lists of trade representatives. After that, requirements for documents based on which economic entities can be included in this list must also be prepared. The government has given relevant instructions to state administration bodies and local authorities, which have already begun forming the list of official trade representatives. The Deputy Minister of Economy also stressed that Resolution No. 991 is not directed against imports; it is designed to streamline the system of purchasing goods.-0-