Homel: "Secret" entrepreneurs keep struggling
On 3 March in Homel, entrepreneurs of
the shopping center "Secret" held another assembly against
the groundless increase of the rent and the reluctance of the lessor
to conclude rent agreements for one year.
The spontaneous
assembly became a result of the informational letter, sent to the
entrepreneurs by the present owner of "Secret", Minsk
company "NP-Service".
A member of the
entrepreneurs' council, Iryna Shykharava says that entrepreneurs keep
getting such "terror letters". "We are ordered to sign
final agreements about the increase of the rent by 3 p.m. on 4 March.
Meanwhile, the agreement will act only until 1 September. In fact,
its is a death verdict to the entrepreneurs, as far as the owner can
increase the rent again in September. Not only entrepreneurs, but
also customers are tired of this uncertainty," commented
Iryna.
Representatives of "NP-Service" didn't come
to the assembly. Instead, there came the head of the business
department of the economic committee of the Homel Region Executive
Committee, Maryna Kryvun. "I have just talked to Ivan Berazouski
from "NP-Service", but he refuses to make any concessions –
the rent is increased by 20% until 1 September. You have the time to
either sign the rent agreement today and tomorrow until noon, or not
to do it," said the official.
The entrepreneurs were
indignant to hear such a statement. They started posing pretensions
to the authorities who refrain from regulating the situation from the
view of anti-monopoly legislation, and unanimously stated the
necessity of another meeting with the owner in presence of the head
of the Homel Region Executive Committee, Uladzimir Dvornik. Two weeks
ago the aforementioned representative of "NP-Service" Ivan
Berazouski agreed to the increase of rent by 20% and conclusion of
one-year rent agreement with entrepreneurs as a result of such
meeting at the executive committee.
Maryna Kryvul contacted
Ivan Berazouski by her cellular phone and stated that she would
report to the administration of the executive committee about the
reluctance of "NP-Service" to resolve the conflict with the
renters. The entrepreneurs met her words with applause.
"Of
course, the owner did not say he would extend the agreement for a
year. However, what we achieved was that the head of the executive
committee was told the truth, as far as the owner states that only
one third of entrepreneurs haven't signed the rent agreements,"
commented entrepreneur Iryna Siarkova.
