Nikita Kuznetsov, Director of the Department for the Development of Domestic Trade at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, spoke at the round table "Regional tobacco market". He stated that the government is considering the possibility of creating a register of trading enterprises selling tobacco products. According to Mr. Kuznetsov, this will help control the number of points of sale of tobacco and prevent illegal trade.
"We probably need to take this seriously and discuss retail so that we have a final verified number of outlets and a list of them that sell the appropriate type of product," he said (quoted by Interfax). Mr. Kuznetsov added that the possibility of selling tobacco outside the future registry should be excluded.
The round table was also attended by Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy Artyom Kiryanov. He said that when checking outlets selling tobacco, "in nine out of ten cases there are significant violations." Roman Troshkin, Manager for work with government authorities at JTI Russia, said that 57% of all illegal products come to Russia from the EAEU countries.
Currently, the trade in tobacco products in Russia is not licensed. However, since September 1, 2023, the electronic register of licenses for the production of tobacco products has been in effect. Since March 1, 2024, Rosalkogoltabakcontrol has been authorized to monitor the production and turnover of tobacco, prevent violations and monitor compliance with requirements for the supply, purchase and transportation of products.
Source: