“Opora Rossii” proposed that the Ministry of Finance set a minimum retail price (MRP) for beer and beer-based beverages due to the increase in excise taxes. The organization warns that otherwise manufacturers could reduce product quality to offset costs. This is reported by Forbes, referring to a copy of the letter signed by the president of the organization, Alexander Kalinin.
Author:
https://rb.ru/author/ntihonov/
Subscribe to RB.RU on Telegram
The State Duma is currently considering a bill according to which, starting in 2025, the excise tax on beer will increase from 27 to 30 rubles per liter. Previously, the excise tax on this product was already indexed for 2025 (from 26 to 27 rubles) by law approved in June 2024. An increase in excise taxes could force manufacturers to reduce quality to reduce costs and maintain prices competitive, the organization warned. Brewers have already incurred additional costs due to labeling, higher costs for raw materials, packaging and other materials, as well as higher labor costs, they noted.
“Opora Rossii” also proposed to tighten the requirements of legislation and GOSTs to prevent quality deterioration as a result of technological optimization. The business association sent a letter to Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Sazanov.
The Ministry of Finance confirmed receipt of the letter and noted that the possibility of introducing an MRP could be considered after amendments are made to the Eurasian Economic Union treaty, which regulates the right of countries to establish MRPs for alcohol products. “The issue is being discussed in the Eurasian Economic Commission working group until a common position is reached,” the department said.
According to Forbes, not all brewers support the idea of MRP. The Beer Producers Association, which brings together the main market players, believes that this could negatively affect competition and lead to a reduction in legal production and sales.
At the end of September, Opora Rossii appealed to the chairman of the State Duma Economic Policy Committee, Maxim Topilin, to request that the initiative to create a register of sellers of beer, cider, poiré and mead be withdrawn from the debate. as this would increase the burden on the points of sale.
Production of beer-based beverages in Russia reached its highest level since 2013 in 2024, according to Rosstat data. In the first half of the year it increased 7.3% compared to the same period last year.
Author:
Nikolai Tikhonov
Source: RB
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
