OREANDA-NEWS  Russia may raise import duties on wine. This was announced in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta by State Secretary - Deputy Finance Minister Alexey Sazanov. According to him, such proposals have been received, they are being discussed by the Commission on Customs and Tariff Regulation under the Ministry of Economic Development.

"The option of increasing duties is being considered (now 12.5% - IF). Whether they will be increased and by how much – these issues are still being discussed. We should come to some decision in the next month or two," he said. - The key for us is to work out a balanced solution that will not lead to a significant increase in prices for consumers. The parameters that are being discussed now, in our opinion, allow us to maintain price stability on the Russian wine market, but in any case, if necessary, the FAS will also be involved in the process and analyze the situation on the market."

According to him, all interested departments, including the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Industry and Trade, participate in the discussion. At the same time, he stressed that "we are not talking about banning imports."

Speaking about the planned experiment on the sale of Russian wine through the Russian Post, Sazanov said that the final decision on it has not yet been made – "in what form it will be carried out, in what time frame." "The very concept of the experiment and the draft law on online wine sales are currently being discussed at the State Duma site. Many participants in this discussion believe that the issue requires additional study," he said. - At the same time, the proposals from parliamentarians sound different and directly opposite. Some people disagree with the experiment in principle. Others, on the contrary, say that the experiment should be expanded to other operators other than Russian Post.

According to him, it is impossible to take into account both points of view in one bill. "But there is a discussion on each proposal. It is possible that they will decide not to conduct the experiment at all. But I still hope that a compromise solution will be found," the deputy minister said.

Answering the question about the need to introduce excise taxes on sweet soda, Sazanov explained that "it is a world practice to introduce excise taxes on harmful products and give the incoming funds to national needs, including financing the health system." "Manufacturers cannot resort to adding some dangerous substitutes, yet there are technical regulations, GOST standards that must be observed. Mandatory labeling of sugary drinks is also being introduced. All this together should protect consumers from such risks," he said.

The excise tax on sugary drinks will begin to operate in the Russian Federation from July 1, 2023 in the amount of 7 rubles per liter.