The Government of the Russian Federation has approved the granting of new powers to the Ministry of Finance of Russia in the tobacco industry, according to the website of the Cabinet of Ministers.
"The government's decision: to adopt a draft resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation on this issue," the message says.
The text explains that the relevant draft resolution provides for granting the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation new powers to develop state policy and regulatory regulation in the field of licensing, provision of public services and implementation of state control (supervision) in the field of production and turnover of tobacco products, tobacco products, nicotine-containing products and raw materials for their production.
In mid-April, the draft resolution proposed to transfer to the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation the powers of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation to regulate the tobacco market. The corresponding draft resolution also provides for the reorganization of Rosalkogolregulirovaniya into the Federal Service for the Control of Alcohol and Tobacco Markets. In particular, it is proposed to give the agency the authority to license the production and turnover of tobacco and tobacco products, the right to seize or confiscate tobacco products from unscrupulous market participants, as well as to implement measures to monitor compliance with mandatory requirements for the production and turnover of tobacco products.
The draft government decree also assumes that the agency will keep a register of issued, suspended and cancelled licenses for the production and turnover of tobacco products.
On April 12, the State Duma adopted in the first reading a bill on comprehensive regulation of the tobacco market. The document provides for licensing of activities in the field of production and turnover of tobacco, nicotine-containing products and raw materials; setting requirements for equipment for their production, including the obligation for its state registration and conservation in case of non-use; regulation of accounting of products and raw materials, which will be based, among other things, on the "Honest Mark" labeling system; introduction of specialized state control in this area; suppression of illegal production and turnover of products and raw materials, in particular, the grounds for their seizure and subsequent destruction are provided.
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