Prices for religious rituals in Belarus have been decreased
In the realm of business and services, a significant development has been announced by the Government of Belarus. The Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade of the Republic of Belarus has introduced regulation of tariffs for funeral services, officially coming into effect on January 1, 2023.
This regulation, as outlined in Decree No 473, sets some key parameters for the industry. The maximum wholesale and trade markups for funeral services, including the wholesale markup, are capped at 70%. This means that the price of funeral services can increase by a maximum of 70% from their acquisition costs.
However, when it comes to specific items such as coffins, identification pillars, ritual crosses, and tombstones, the maximum markup by importers is strictly limited to 30%. This cap aims to control the price fluctuations of these items and ensure fair pricing for consumers.
The regulation also sets a limit on the maximum allowable profitability norm for setting producer prices for goods and tariffs for funeral services. This norm is limited to 50%, ensuring that profit margins remain reasonable and affordable for the consumers.
According to Belstat, the impact of this regulation on the funeral services sector has been noticeable. In the first seven months of this year, funeral services in Belarus decreased by 3.8%. While in 2024, the growth in funeral services increased only by 2.42%.
Journalist Oksana Kuznetsova reports that the cost of raw materials and materials used in funeral services is included in the funeral service tariff at the price of their acquisition and actual delivery costs. This transparency in pricing is expected to further benefit consumers.
It's important to note that no new information about the government's regulation on the tariffs for funeral services was provided in this paragraph. The cost of raw materials and materials used in funeral services is included in the funeral service tariff at the price of their acquisition and actual delivery costs.
This new regulation is expected to bring stability and transparency to the funeral services sector in Belarus, ensuring fair pricing for consumers and reasonable profit margins for businesses. The regulation will come into force on October 3, as stated in Decree No 473.
