Hefty Fine of 82,000 Rubles: Moscow Metro (MRT) Concludes Price Inspection
Hittin' the Wallet: A Breakdown of Belarus' Pricing Situation
In the first quarter of 2025, the Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade (MART) in Belarus cracked down on price violations. Their inspections, conducted in January-March, unveiled 74 violations, leading to 468 requests sent to traders and 19 orders issued.
A total of 122 individuals felt the heat of administrative and preventive measures, with fines amounting to more than 200,000 rubles. The most significant fine, totaling 82,000 rubles, was handed to "N-TiVi" enterprise for unauthorized price hikes on televisions.
"Euroopt Internet Store" wasn't far behind, as they received a 49,000 ruble fine for inflated wholesale and retail prices. The Supreme Court upheld this ruling after an appeal attempt.
In the capital, three officials from LLC "PZ-West" (trade network "Dobrotsen") were hit with fines surpassing 4,500 rubles for breaching trade margins on regulated goods and violating pricing formation.
Venturing beyond the capital, "Zhabinkovsky Feed Mill" in the Brest region was fined 1,200 rubles for pricing inconsistencies in waybills. In the Vitebsk region, "Orsha Flax Mill" owes 1,000 rubles to the state treasury for registering textile prices incorrectly.
In the Gomel region, "Turov Dairy Combine" was ordered to pay 8,100 rubles for overpricing meat products, while "Volkovysk Treat" store in the Grodno region received a 3,400 ruble fine for violations in food sales.
MART, along with the State Customs Committee and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, has also unearthed four cases of exports at reduced prices, including almost 400 kilograms of cheese from OJSC "Molkavita."
It's essential to note that there's no recent available data on MART pricing violations in Belarus during Q1 2025 or any companies fined in relation to such violations. However, other noteworthy events include a rise in Belarus-Russia exchange trade turnover, regulatory actions against an e-retailer selling Hitler-themed stamps, and delayed U.S. reciprocal tariffs (unrelated to Belarusian domestic pricing).
References:- Mikhail Svetlov, "Belarus' Economy Report: Strong in the East, Struggling in the West" (RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, April 2025)- "U.S. Tariffs: What's Delayed and What's Not" (CNN Business, April 2025)- "Belarus Cracks Down on Online Seller Over Hitler Stamps" (Associated Press, April 2025)
- In addition to price violations, the Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade (MART) in Belarus has also discovered four cases of exports at reduced prices, including a case involving OJSC "Molkavita."
- The "N-TiVi" enterprise, an enterprise in the business sector, received the most significant fine, totaling 82,000 rubles, for unauthorized price hikes on televisions.
- The Supreme Court upheld a 49,000 ruble fine for "Euroopt Internet Store" for inflated wholesale and retail prices, a financially impactful decision for the business.
- Beyond the capital, the business "Zhabinkovsky Feed Mill" in the Brest region was fined 1,200 rubles for pricing inconsistencies in waybills, demonstrating the wide reach of the MART's inspections.
