Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers has approved of new increased minimum alcohol prices, in particular, the floor price of a half-liter bottle of vodka was increased from 54.90 to 69.78 UAH.
“The revision was required as prices set since September 2015 have not met real expenses of producers”, Deputy Prime Minister and Economic Development and Trade Minister Stepan Kubiv said.
Head of the State Regulatory Service of Ukraine Ksenia Liapina said that the prices were set only on the basis of an economic analysis after long consultations with all interested sides.
Interior Minister Arsen Avakov proposed to increase the price to 70 UAH, but Kubiv said that there were proposals to set 104 UAH per bottle.
A representative of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine reminded the government about the requirement of the law on the 2016 national budget to set minimum prices for tobacco, as well.
“Everything is not so simple on the tobacco market. I heard that some corrupted proposals were behind it”, the prime minister said.
He said it was decided to discuss minimum alcohol prices in public for four months and a professional discussion took place. (Interfax/Business World Magazine)