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.