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Belarusian brewers have to fight for every store shelf, official says

Ailing Belarusian brewers have to fight for every store shelf to beat foreign rivals, Ivan Danchanka, chairman of state food industry conglomerate Beldzyarzhkharchpram, said at a meeting held by the Presidium of the Council of Ministers on Tuesday, as quoted by BelaPAN.

“Competition is a good thing, but a lack of any restraint in the retail sector means money losses for the country,” Mr. Danchanka said.

According to the Beldzyarzhkharchpram head, the country’s leading beer producers, including AAT Krynitsa and two plants controlled by Heineken, ended the first six months of this year in the red. Only AAT Alivaryya reported a profit, totaling 3.54 billion rubels ($1.18 million), he said.

Mr. Danchanka said that the trade ministry had drafted a presidential edict that would set a limit on the amount of a reward offered by suppliers to retailers. The draft says that the reward should not exceed 10 percent of the price of purchased items. The brewing industry welcomes the draft, the official said.