OREANDA-NEWS. October 15, 2009. President Alexander Lukashenko signed Decree No 499 ‘On Some Measures to Improve the Antimonopoly Regulation and Stimulate Competition’, reported the Official website president.gov.by.

This document delimits the functions of the antimonopoly watchdogs. At the national level, the antimonopoly monitoring of the goods markets is the responsibility of the Ministry of Economy. At the regional level, the goods markets of individual regions (and the city of Minsk), this responsibility shall rest with the structural departments of the regional executive committees (and Minsk City Executive Committee).

The Decree expands the authority of the watchdog bodies in preventing the activities that may lead to the stifling of competition, including the activities that result in the abolishing of the by-laws adopted by state bodies, associations of legal entities, which contradict the effective legislation.

The Decree enables the antimonopoly bodies to enter into contractual relationships with the legal entities that occupy the dominant position in the goods markets in which the terms of their competitive practices, as well as the limits for prices (tariffs) for goods (works, services), get defined. As a result of a contractual relationship, such a legal entity is excluded form the state register of economic entities occupying the dominant position in goods markets.

The Decree enters into force three months after its official publication.