Belarus’ entrepreneurs not ready to defend their interests

According to decree No 222, as of July 1^st private entrepreneurs are prohibited to trade without a certificate and accompanying documents. The introduced certification will hinder the work of individual entrepreneurs and might reformat the SME market, potentially meaning that the majority of entrepreneurs will withdraw. There are several entrepreneurial associations and trade unions in Belarus, but their actions are largely uncoordinated and localised in several large cities. Apart from some protest initiatives – mainly strikes and non-payment of taxes – SMEs will not demonstrate serious resistance to the state restricting their interests. Also, they will avoid politicising their protest activity or coordinating their actions with the opposition.