Moscow will be cleared of small business

The new mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, who has recently took the office after nearly two decades of rule by Yuri Luzhkov, began an active campaign to clean-up the Russian capital of small business.

According to the new government, retailers, located in tents, stalls and kiosks that are scattered throughout Moscow and spoil the image of the city have an extremely negative impact on the extremely difficult transport situation in the capital and are subject to immediate elimination. Objects of street trading will be subject to demolition, which will be undertaken by metropolitan prefectures in the near future.

Attention of the new mayor has been drawn by a jumble of stalls near “Belorusskaya” and “Street 1905” metro stations. Many small retail trade objects significantly impede the stream of pedestrians and transport as well as working with gross violations of sanitary and fire regulations. Mayor found such situation in Moscow inadmissible and ordered to dismiss the heads of Tverskaya and Presnenskaya councils.

According to the prefecture of the Eastern District, till 10th of November will be held an emergency audit of all street trading sites to identify stalls that impede transportation or those without proper permits to carry out commercial activities or without proper lease agreement.

The first wave of demolition will affect the objects of small retail trade, which have no legal documents to conduct trading activities. Kiosks that have appropriate permissions, but obstruct the movement of transport, will also be dismantled.

The exception will be made for the press and ice cream kiosks, located no closer than 25 meters from metro stations and not impede traffic or pedestrians. The small-scale objects of trade, serving the new districts, where are planned, but are temporarily absent shops selling goods of prime necessity, will also be preserved.

Despite the harsh measures taken against small business, city authorities have stated they will make every effort to reach consensus with the owners of small retail objects.