Russia will lift all restrictions for imports of essential goods for one month starting Friday, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said opening a government meeting on Thursday, March 19th.
"From tomorrow all restrictions on supplies of essential goods, including customs restrictions will be lifted for one month. We are introducing a green route for importers and large retail chains. A zero customs duty rate is set for the import of a number of goods, including medicines and medical devices, "he said.
"We will monitor availability [of all necessary goods and devices] online, and for this purpose we are creating a single information center where all the information will be collected for each region," the Prime Minister said.
Mishustin also announced that control over their turnover will be strengthened so that unscrupulous suppliers do not supply counterfeit products, he stressed.
Mishustin noted that the coronavirus pandemic has already had a serious impact on the export of goods and services. Besides that there are a number of barriers in the domestic market.
Speaking about the development of agricultural sector, the Prime Minister pointed at the task of increasing the income level of rural residents. Also, according to him, it is necessary to encourage entrepreneurial activity and create conditions for investment in the industry.
The Prime Minister also said that Russia has enough foodstuffs and the authorities will do everything to ensure that stores do not have empty shelves.
"Many European countries now see feverish demand for food because of the spread of coronavirus infection. We have enough food products, we will continue to do everything so that our people can buy fresh products - bread, milk, meat - and the shops do not have empty shelves," he promised.
Source: Tass.com