The World - News from Aug. 23, 1988

The Kremlin has called for a series of measures to improve shops and catering establishments, including longer store hours, new equipment and incentive schemes, Izvestia said. The government newspaper said the Council of Ministers passed a resolution aimed at eliminating poor management, waste of materials, violations of trade rules and poor service. The resolution called for the transfer of more Soviet shops to self-service or “other progressive sales methods.” Izvestia said the main cause of the shortcomings was the failure to develop the “material-technological base” for trade enterprises.