On June 13, Vitebsk /Diana Kurilo - BELTA/. Vitebsk is launching a massive crackdown on illegal street trading. The need for a broad propaganda campaign against lawbreakers was discussed today during a round table meeting at the Vitebsk City Executive Committee, as reported by a BELTA correspondent. Zinaida Koroleva, Deputy Chairperson of the City Executive Committee, noted that despite the measures taken by tax inspectorates and internal affairs bodies, unauthorised trade remains a persistent urban problem. "This is not only about violating legislation but also about ensuring the safety of residents and visitors to the city," she emphasised. To corroborate her statement, Nikolai Krasovsky, Chief Sanitary Doctor of Vitebsk and Vitebsk District, reported that none of the requirements for ensuring the safety of food products by street vendors are met, and goods seized or confiscated from them have never entered the retail network, as they do not comply with sanitary standards. Overall, 13 equipped trading areas are operational in the city for the sale of surplus agricultural products. Additionally, designated spots are allocated at markets. For instance, 150 such points have been established at the Polotsk collective farm market alone. Despite low rental fees, ranging from Br1 thousand to Br5 thousand depending on the occupied area and assortment, a significant portion of these spots remain vacant. According to Igor Skorinovitch, Deputy Head of the Public Security Police Department of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, 40 administrative protocols for unauthorised trade have been drawn up in the regional centre since the beginning of the year, with 20 of them in May. Tax authorities are also actively involved in combating offenders. Valery Lobatsevich, Deputy Head of the Vitebsk Region Tax Inspectorate, stated that since the beginning of the year, goods worth Br270 million have been seized from illegal traders in Vitebsk alone. Furthermore, tax inspectors forward materials for further investigation to financial police bodies.