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ITAR-TASS
Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich instructed the authorities to submit, by the end of may, proposals for the creation of labeling system for the tobacco industry, the appearance of which is stipulated by the law “On protection of health of citizens from impact of ambient tobacco smoke…” before July 1, 2018. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Khloponin, who oversees the alcohol industry insists on the extension of state control systems USAIS working in the alcohol industry, and tobacco.
Instructions on elaboration of the issue of labeling cigarettes Arkady Dvorkovich gave on 12 may (copy of the document is at the disposal of “Izvestia”).
“Imagine the government of the Russian Federation in the established manner proposals for implementation of parts 2 and 4 of article 18 of the Federal law “On protection of health of citizens from impact of ambient tobacco smoke and effects of tobacco consumption” (15-FZ)”, – the document says. The document was sent to the Ministry of agriculture, Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of health, the Ministry of communications, Ministry of industry and trade, Rospotrebnadzor, the Federal tax service (FTS) and the Federal customs service (FCS). The assignment should be completed in the term up to 29 may 2017.
The document says that officials should consider the deadlines provided by law until 1 July 2018. From this period come into force the provision that each pack and each pack of tobacco products are subject to marking – to prevent illegal trade.
In the office of Arkady Dvorkovich said that while the Federal Executive bodies not to execute the order of Deputy Prime Minister. The agencies at the request of “Izvestia” is not answered.
Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Khloponin insists on the implementation of the state control system of USAIS for the tobacco industry. This follows from his letter to President Vladimir Putin, who put on paper the resolution “agree” on February 16. According to Alexander Khloponin, significant costs to implement the idea require tobacco products be sold around 350 thousand retail outlets, this 220 thousand items of retail trade in alcoholic products is already connected to USAIS.
The letter noted that the increase in excise duties on tobacco products in Russia and the lack of a uniform excise policy in the member States of the EEU creates conditions for increasing illegal trade in counterfeit and contraband tobacco products. This leads to budget losses. According to the government, for the 2012-2016 years, they amounted to 105 billion rubles.
In the office of Alexander Khloponin at the request of “Izvestia” is not answered.
The Ministry of Finance announced that the Agency “supports the idea of traceability of tobacco products through USAIS”, and details are now being worked out by the Ministry together with the Net and the FTS.
Director of legal Affairs and unexplorative relations “BAT Russia” Yana Guskova believes that it is important that the state settled on a single solution for the tobacco industry and implement a system that fits the technological level of modern production.
– It may not be too expensive not to lead to higher prices. In our opinion, the system may be a cloud, able to receive and process information from manufacturers, she said. – To combat the illegal trafficking of tobacco, the system needs to be implemented immediately in all the countries of the Eurasian economic Union. From there on the Russian market receives about 60% of illegal cigarettes.
Vice President, corporate Affairs PMI affiliates in Russia Sergey Slipchenko believes that “the most optimal system based on digital encodings applied directly on tobacco products in the process of its production.”
Managing partner of Board of lawyers “starinsky, Cartago and partners” Vladimir starinskij stressed that the USAIS introduction in the tobacco industry will not require repeal of the provisions of the law “About health protection of citizens from impact of ambient tobacco smoke…” – it will be amended accordingly.
According to preliminary data TNS Russia for the 1st quarter of 2017, the share of the shadow sector of the tobacco market is around 5%.