Until 1958 the trade ministry system was organized at three basic levels: union, republic, and local.
Most retail enterprises of union subordination were gradually transferred to republic and local trade authorities.
Thus for 1958 the Council of Ministers USSR approved only the gross retail turnover plan by republic for the entire country and directly allocated only about 45 important goods.
The ministry's wholesale operations were transferred to republic ministries of trade, and the Chief Directorate for Interrepublic Deliveries of Consumer Goods in Gosplan, USSR, was given responsibility for coordinating trade among the 15 republics.
With the transfer of functions to republic ministries of trade, certain organizational adjustments were required.