Business news

24 Sep 2019

Plans to add four duty-free shops at Belarusian border

MINSK, 24 September (BelTA) – Plans have been made to open four more duty-free shops at the Belarusian border, BelTA learned from First Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Aleksandr Turchin.

According to Aleksandr Turchin, once it is done, the total number of duty-free shops open to travelers entering Belarus by road will be five. Only one such shop has been opened at an automobile border checkpoint as an experiment. Two more shops are located at the Minsk National Airport.

Aleksandr Turchin said: “On the whole, the head of state has backed the submitted proposals. Four more duty-free shops will be opened to welcome incoming travelers.”

Aleksandr Turchin specified that the shops will be located prior to the exit from the customs control area, this is why customs service personnel will carry out standard inspection procedures. “Purchases will be available within the limits enforced within the territory of the Eurasian Economic Union,” the official specified.

“Five [duty-free shops in automobile border checkpoints] is an optimal figure. We will take a look at the results at the end of the year and will evaluate them. We will keep a close eye on their work in order to make sure these shops benefit our country,” Aleksandr Turchin said.

Asked when the new shops will be opened, he said: “The decision has been approved. The government together with the Belarus President Property Management Directorate will submit the relevant draft executive order for consideration of the head of state. Once the president signs the executive order, these shops will be opened.”

Speaking about possible competition with manufacturers of similar products in Belarus, Aleksandr Turchin assured there will be none directly. Most of the goods the duty-free shops will sell will be alcohol products, tobacco products, and perfumery. “As a rule, this product choice lies far from the product range made by Belarusian companies,” he said.

“After all, the taxes such shops pay are transferred to the Belarusian budget. We give people a choice: buy the goods in neighboring countries and neither the budget nor commercial entities will get anything or choose a better value for money in these [Belarusian] shops,” Aleksandr Turchin concluded.