"Who Would Want to Deal With Non-cash In Russia for the Sake of 20 Boxes of Shoes?"

Belarusian individual entrepreneurs are prohibited from using cash currency outside the country for transactions.

The decree will enter into force on July 9, 2021. The document is posted on the website of the RPA Perspektiva.

- Now, individual entrepreneurs will be obliged to fulfill the conditions for currency regulation on an equal basis with legal entities, including making transfers for payments for goods only by non-cash payments, buying currency on the exchange. The government and the National Bank have dealt a serious blow to individual entrepreneurs, - Anatol Shumchenka, chairman of the Perspektiva RPA, said in an express commentary to Salidarnasts.

He stressed that the document was adopted without any consultations with the entrepreneurs themselves. And he explained what the consequences could be.

- Considering that 99% of payments by individual entrepreneurs in trade with other countries for the purchase of goods occurs in cash, it can be argued that, after July 9, this type of business will cease after some time and stop working. There will be no delivery of new goods, there will be nothing to pay taxes, rent, too, and the FSZN as well.

Or individual entrepreneurs who cannot work according to this law will hide how much they import goods, taxes, and, as a result, the shadow sector of the economy will develop exponentially. Individual entrepreneurs will go into the shadows, and it will be impossible to control everyone, - the leader of Perspektiva believes.

He recalled that, two years ago, the government had already tried to pass a similar law, but then the public organization was able to defend the interests of entrepreneurs.

- Then we were able to promptly influence the fact that it was canceled. But we were warned: this is temporary. We offered to find out the position and arguments of the entrepreneurs themselves before making the next decision, but, again, no one held any negotiations with us, - continues Shumchenka. - I believe that, in this matter, there should be a principle of voluntariness, and a person himself should choose how it is more convenient for him to work. After all, the main thing is that people pay taxes.

Among the reasons that will not allow Belarusian individual entrepreneurs to switch to cashless payments, he named, among other things, the realities of the Russian market, on which most of our entrepreneurs depend:

- There are large and medium-sized businesses for which cashless payments are beneficial because they carry trucks, wagons, planes. And these costs are not important for them, and the costs, based on the volume, will not be high.

And micro-business entrepreneurs carry a couple of bags, a trunk, that is, a small number of goods. For them, the costs associated with non-cash transactions are enormous, and they will significantly increase the price. This is the opening of accounts, euro interest, payment to accountants and other professionals.

Moreover, who wants to deal with non-cash for 3-5 bags or 20 boxes of shoes in same Russia? In general, it is very difficult with non-cash payments in Russia, especially when it comes to external payments.

According to our estimates, 73% of Belarusian entrepreneurs buy goods in the Russian Federation, where they bring goods from all over the world, including under "gray" schemes. This is not a secret to anyone.

After all, they generally want to integrate us into the Russian Federation, but everyone knows how weak the executive discipline in relation to the laws is there. Naturally, if in Russia, as in Europe, everything was transparent and simplified, and they, among other things, would return VAT to us and work officially, perhaps, there would be no problems. But this is not the case.

It turns out that they are trying to instill in us a civilized framework with uncivilized relations.

RPO Perspektiva expresses its categorical disagreement with Resolution No. 203/4 of 07.04.2021 adopted by the government and the National Bank and proposes to return the norm allowing the use of cash in foreign currency.