Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “Retail chains should be encouraged to operate in small villages. Even in unpromising ones. It is necessary to strike a balance: if you run a profitable business in the capital city and other large cities, you should undertake a bit of social responsibility and cater to consumers in the countryside. Especially since there are not that many problem districts.”

“I want you to hear it. All the smart money-grubbers rushed to big cities, built shops here, and live quite a good life. Truth be told, all the owners live in the French Riviera. Well, organize things in a way to get them to operate deep in the countryside,” the president formulated the demand. The appropriate tools are available, he stated. For instance, a major retail chain has recently been granted bigger operation opportunities in eight districts of the country.

Aleksandr Lukashenko recalled that when he was appointing Artur Karpovich Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade Minister, he gave instructions to reach every remote corner of the country and put it to rights. The head of state wondered how the retail service system is structured to cater to rural Belarusians and what has been really done instead of staying as plans. The president also wondered about the availability of a required product range in shops, ways to resolve staffing problems and hire shop assistants for rural shops, about the minimization of losses of retailers.

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