The Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade (MART) and retail chains have extended the social discount programme until the end of this year.
The 10% discount is available to vulnerable groups, including pensioners, people with disabilities and large families, on essential goods such as bread, flour, rolled oats, pearl barley, pasta, beef, pork, whole chickens, milk, kefir, sour cream, cottage cheese, eggs, vegetables and other staple products.
Under the new agreement between MART and retail chains, buckwheat groats have been added to the list of eligible products. Imported apples, cabbage, onions, beetroot, carrots and potatoes have been removed from the list.
The descriptions of two product categories have also been revised: “Cheese (hard and semi-hard) with a fat content of 45% or less: rennet (enzyme) hard and semi-hard cheeses made from cow’s milk, sold loose or packaged, excluding extra-hard, processed, smoked, mould-ripened, brined cheeses, cheeses with additives and cheese products”; and “Fresh table chicken eggs.”
“During its operation, the agreement has demonstrated strong demand among the public. Retailers have issued more than 2.7 million eligible cards, while the total value of discounts provided has amounted to approximately 202 million Belarusian rubles,” said Artur Karpovich, head of MART.
