The Ministry of Finance proposed to increase the minimum retail price for vodka to 230 rubles per 0.5 liter

Since 2020, the Ministry of Finance has proposed raising the minimum retail price for vodka to 230 rubles per bottle (0.5 liter). The ministry does not rule out an increase in the minimum retail price for cognac to 420-430 rubles per bottle, Interfax reports.

According to experts of the ministry, 230 rubles for a bottle of vodka “will be enough,” Alexey Sazanov, director of the tax and customs policy department of the Ministry of Finance, told reporters. “The decision will be with Anton Germanovich (Siluanov),” Sazanov added.

The head of the department of the Ministry of Finance also noted that 450 rubles per bottle of cognac (the price offered by manufacturers) is too expensive. "It is clear that high-quality cognac needs to be raised more than inflation, but 450 rubles is a bit much," Sazanov believes.

Currently, the minimum retail price for vodka is 215 rubles, for cognac - 388 rubles per bottle. In Russia, a minimum price for champagne is also set. This year it did not rise and in retail is 164 rubles per bottle 0.75 liters

Recently, the Union of Alcohol Producers (SPAP) sent to the Ministry of Finance a proposal to increase in 2020 the minimum retail price to 233 rubles per 0.5 liter bottle of vodka. The reason for this in the union was the increase in excise duty from 523 to 540 rubles per liter of pure alcohol, an increase in wheat prices and a sharp rise in the cost of glass. This was announced in mid-September at the Moscow Financial Forum by SPAP President Igor Kosarev.

The director of the Kizlyar Cognac Factory Evgeny Druzhinin made a proposal to increase the minimum price for cognac at the forum. He believes that the minimum retail price should be at the level of 400-450 rubles per 0.5 liter bottle.

The last time the minimum prices for vodka, cognac and brandy have been rising since January 1, 2019.

Source: https://www.newsru.com