A hotline regarding the operations of agricultural product procurement agents will be held on October 9 at the Vitebsk Regional Committee for State Control, the regional Committee for State Control informed BELTA.
Citizens will be able to evaluate the work of the region's procurement agents, and report problems and violations. Calls will be accepted from 10:00 to 12:00 at the following telephone numbers: 8 (0212) 37-54-53 and 8 (0212) 37-61-48. Employees of the regional Committee for State Control will also listen to suggestions for improving procurement activities.
The regional Committee for State Control informed that consumer cooperation organisations continue to procure the main share of agricultural products and raw materials from the public. However, their procurement volumes of vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, and berries in January-August 2019 decreased compared to the same period last year. Procurement agents attribute this to low public engagement and the current season's poor harvest.
Nevertheless, in August, during a monitoring exercise at the procurement points of one of the regional consumer union organisations in Vitebsk District, it was established that the public was not fully informed about the list of products and raw materials being purchased. People were unaware of the purchase prices, settlement procedures, reception organisation, including the operating hours of procurement points and the delivery of large volumes of products, and the contact telephone numbers of responsible employees for clarifying necessary information. Furthermore, the employees receiving the products also lacked all the required information.