Under the state of emergency in Kyrgyzstan, new rules for the transportation of goods necessary to protect the health and livelihoods of citizens of the country are applied.

However, companies producing and transporting essential foodstuffs have serious problems when passing checkpoints.

The International Business Council received numerous complaints from entrepreneurs about difficulties at checkpoints when moving employees of companies and enterprises providing the city with necessary goods.

To ensure uninterrupted life of Bishkek, the commandant of Bishkek, Almazbek Orozaliev, on March 26, 2020 issued order No. 5 on the unhindered and round-the-clock movement of goods with food and other essential goods and order No. 6 on the movement of workers related to these products outside curfew (from 07:00 to 20:00). Similar orders were issued in Osh and Jalal-Abad.

Deputy Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic Erkin Asrandiev, through all the country’s leading TV channels, reported on the movement of goods and workers, as provided for in these orders.

The orders were distributed among the above companies, and the companies issued their employees all the necessary documents.

However, today, March 27, many employees were unable to get to their working places. Even with all the accompanying documents specified in the order of the commandant of Bishkek, special passes from the commandant are required at the checkpoints. This problem leads to disruptions in the production and supply of essential goods.

In this regard, the business community asks the Country’s Operational Office and the Bishkek Commandant to provide all possible assistance in implementing the provisions of these orders on the ground, without introducing new additional burdens on obtaining permits and special permits.

A massive influx of employees of organizations into Bishkek Commandant’s Office to obtain special passes creates certain risks and may run counter to quarantine measures.