The Ministry of Industry and Commerce proposed creating a registry of tobacco sellers

“The idea of ​​a registry, with conditionally soft licenses, is currently being discussed. We should probably take this seriously and discuss retail to have a final verified number of points and a list of those selling the corresponding product type. It is necessary to ensure that no sales are made outside of this register,” Kuznetsov highlighted.

He explained the importance of the idea due to the fact that tobacco is a product subject to excise taxes, but its sale is currently not authorized. The deficit of excise taxes on classic tobacco products amounts to more than 100 billion rubles a year, said Artem Kiryanov, deputy chairman of the State Duma Economic Policy Committee. In his words, in the control of points of sale, “in nine out of 10 cases, major violations occur.”

In the first half of 2024, the budget lost 50.44 billion rubles due to illegal trafficking in tobacco products, estimated Irina Bushina, director of the National Scientific Center of Competence in the Field of Combating Illegal Trafficking in Industrial Products .

In April, Vladimir Putin signed a law on the transition from paper to digital tobacco labeling. RIA Novosti writes that the measure will allow customs authorities to retain the power to administer excise taxes on tobacco products imported from EAEU countries and will ensure control over the correct determination of the tax base for excise taxes on tobacco and products containing nicotine.