 Besides carrying on extensive trade operations, republic ministries of trade supervised local trade organizations through ministries of trade of autonomous republics and through trade departments in oblast, kray, and city executive committees.Most retail enterprises (stores and dining enterprises) in the trade ministry system were managed by organizations known as "torgs", which were organized by product lines and by areas served.Operating according to the principle of economic accountability (khozraschet), torgs were directly subordinate to the trade departments of kray, oblast, or city executive committees; ministries of trade of autonomous-republics; or - in the case of republics not having Oblast divisions - ministries of trade of republics.