Beer manufacturing authorization: “eats shoots and leaves” (2013-12-04)

The State Duma intends to tighten alcohol policy in the country. Members of the Parliament drafted a bill that would force all large brewing companies to license beer production and turnover. It will lead to the great beer price increasing. The State Duma Committee for Economic Policy, Innovation Development and Commerce prepared a new document.

A Deputy Tamara Pletneva (CPRF) believes that introduction of manufacturing licenses can bring an additional income to the budget of the country which undergoes difficulties at present time.

– In Soviet times we had an alcohol monopoly and it produced great revenue to the budget. Now we could take the same road. As beer is an alcohol product it must be licensed. It is necessary to control what kinds of beer do citizens of the Russian Federation use? Hard beer drinkers are similar to others. And beer production shall bring a profit to the budget, – considers a communist Pletneva.

Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee for Economic Policy, Innovation Development and Commerce Victor Zvagelsky (“United Russia”) claimed that he has already tried to table the same document in 2010.

– This time we’ll again introduce my previous beer licensing draft bill. Bars, restaurants and other public eating places bear no relations to this draft bill. It is referred to beer production and turnover that will be more than 300 thousand dl./year – noted the Deputy Chairman. Mini breweries placed in the restaurants will be exempted from licensing. A colleague of Zvagelsky, a deputy Nikolay Arefyev (CPRF) believes that licensing will endanger all small business.

It is strange because at first the party of power considers necessary to develop small business and then they are trying to crush it. This year 1,5 thousand of small companies were removed. The question of beer sales licensing is studying by the government. It means that firstly small business was imposed a ban on beer sales and now the authorities permitted it but only with licenses. The same goes for production. The reason is our accession to WTO and at present time we suffer losses.

The Head of the Centre for National Alcohol Policy Development Pavel Shapkin supported deputies’ plans.

– We are licensing wine and this approach can be taken to beer because it is also alcohol. The license costs 500.000 rub. for five years. For a brewery this sum is not large. For shops – 40.000 rub./year. As a result only some retail outlets can be reduced, – noted Pavel Shapkin.

At the present moment approximately 800 companies produce beer in Russia. They are placed in 78 regions of the country. Many of them are far away from the towns and settlements where they are the basic taxpayers and employers. At the nearest future members of the parliament intends to send the draft bill for the government approval and then introduce to the State Duma.

The Union «Barley, Malt, Hops & Beer in Russia» is planning to consider this question in the nearest meeting of start-up Expert Council (the list of the members of the Council you can find here) and give an expert report to the legislative and executive authorities of the Russian Federation.

Share news:

No comments