For them, the challenge is to survive. Dealer of the Lida-based brewery Dmitri Antonovich says the situation on the beer market is unfavourable for producers. The most pressing problem are excises which are charged on manufacturer's prices.
Brewing becomes unprofitable since any price increase causes an increase of excise duties.
Mr Antonovich says it is impossible to purchase high-quality raw material in Belarus while the problems of foreign exchange in the country impede its purchase abroad. He has noticed at most one or few brands of beer in Minsk stores while the range, in his opinion, must account at least a dozen brands of local beer. Mr Gazukin says the market of brewery equipment in Belarus has been completely ruined. If earlier Russian breweries used to purchase foreign-made equipment in Belarus, today the situation is quite the contrary.