Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan adopted resolution on 16 February 2011 “On introduction of new documentary stamps for alcohol and tobacco products”.

The resolution was adopted in order to strengthen control over illegal production and realization of alcohol and tobacco goods.

In line with the document, new documentary stamps for alcohol and tobacco products will be introduced from 1 April 2011.

Design of new documentary stamps with additional protection levels will be developed and approved by Ministry of Finance, State Customs Committee, State Customs Committee of Uzbekistan and Davlat Belgisi State Production Union.

The document said that alcohol and tobacco products, marked with old documentary stamps and realized through wholesale and retail trade networks, will be in circulation for six months from 1 April 2011 and after that the products will be considered as unmarked and will be seized in established order.

State Tax Committee and State Customs Committee of Uzbekistan were entrusted on 1 October 2011 to adopt measures on revealing and preventing production and realization of alcohol and tobacco products, marked with old documentary stamps and realized through wholesale and retail trade networks, and seizing them.

As earlier reported, the Government of Uzbekistan increased excise taxes for production of alcohol and tobacco products from 1 January 2011.

From 1 January 2011, the excise tax for ethyl alcohol makes up 2,291 soums per decilitre (US$1 is equal to 1,640.55 soums) and for wines – 4,744 soums for 1 decilitre of ready product.

Excise taxes for cognac, vodka and other alcohol products were set at the size of 18,965 soums per 1 decilitre of ready product, while for beer it is set at 2,156 soums per 1 decilitre.

For cognac, vodka and other alcohol products, containing ethyl alcohol higher than 40%, excise taxes are set at the size of 31,236 soums per 1 decilitre of ready product.

The Uzbek government also established new rates of excise taxes for cigarettes with filters at the size of 8,949 soums for 1,000 units and for cigarettes without filters – 4,319 soums for 1,000 units.

Excise duty for imported products makes up 70%, but at least US$1 per liter of beer, US$6 – for wine, US$7 – for vodka, US$14.5 – for cognac and US$10 per 1,000 cigarettes.

According to the State Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan, production of cigarettes in 2010 grew by 9.4% to 13.949 billion. Uzbekistan produced 9.593 million deciliter of vodka and alcoholic beverage products (+1.6%), 2.128 million deciliter of wine (+1.3%) and 25 million deciliter of beer (+21.1%).