OREANDA-NEWS. On February 29, 2008, President Alexander Lukashenko issued Ordinance No. 3 “On Some Issues of State Regulation of the Production, Turnover and Advertising of Beer, Alcoholic Products and Tobacco Goods”, reported the Official website http://president.gov.by.

The Ordinance abolishes quotas on the imports of alcoholic, inedible spirit-based products and inedible ethyl alcohol.

Due to the abolishing of those restrictions and with a view to protecting economic interests of Belarus and retaining control over the imports of alcoholic products, the imports of these products will be carried out by corporate entities expressly chosen for this purpose via tenders. There will be a special permanent interagency commission, which will be organising the tenders and choosing the companies.

Under the Ordinance, the right to produce cognac, brandy, cognac-type drinks in Belarus is given only to state-run legal entities or to private legal entities, in which the government’s stake is more than 30 per cent. The special permits (licences) for the production of cognacs, brandy and cognac-type beverages, which were issued to legal entities earlier, will be valid until 1 September 2008.

The Decree brings Belarus’ legislation in sync with the country’s international obligations and, at the same time, secures the proper state control over the production and turnover of spirit-based products in Belarus, including their imports to this country.