Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The Presidential Decree “On strengthening measures to regulate the market for alcoholic and tobacco products and preventing their illegal circulation” has been adopted.

According to the Decree, an Inspectorate for regulating the alcohol and tobacco market (Inspectorate) will be established at the Department for Combating Economic Crimes under the General Prosecutor's Office.

One of the main tasks of the Inspectorate is defined as participating in the implementation of a unified state policy on the production and sale of food and technical ethyl alcohol, alcoholic and tobacco products, as well as ensuring control over these processes.

Starting from 1 October 2024, the following additional licensing requirements for the production of food and technical ethyl alcohol, alcoholic products will be introduced:

compliance with certain legislative requirements for the timely payment of annual license fees, taxes, and other mandatory payments;

compliance with quality requirements in the production and trade of alcoholic products, as well as procedures for using excise stamps, mandatory digital marking through means of identification;

installation of video surveillance systems providing the ability to monitor and control the processes of alcohol production.

In accordance with the Decree, starting from 1 October 2024:

in cases of identifying instances of shadow production, production without excise stamps, without digital marking, or substandard alcoholic products, the production equipment will be confiscated as state revenue;

alcoholic and tobacco products with counterfeit excise stamps, without excise stamps, unmarked with digital identification means, or marked with counterfeit labeling codes will be withdrawn from circulation by supervisory authorities, and the license (permit documents) for the right to trade in such products will be annulled in the established manner;

wholesale contracts for the sale of food and technical ethyl alcohol, alcoholic and tobacco products will be subject to mandatory registration with tax authorities;

in cases where the utilization rate of existing production capacity in the production of vodka, as well as vodka and liqueur-vodka products from food ethyl alcohol, is less than 60 percent, financial sanctions in the amount of 50 percent of the excise tax amount will be imposed for the unfulfilled portion below the established 60 percent at the end of each half-year.

However, in cases where the utilization rate of existing production capacity exceeds 60 percent at the end of each half-year, and the excise tax is paid in full, the amounts of the imposed financial sanctions will be refunded to the enterprise.

Moreover, in the event of exceeding the utilization rate of existing production capacity by more than 60 percent at the end of each half-year and full payment of excise, the amounts of the imposed financial penalties are returned to the enterprise.