The Cabinet of Ministers approved the regulation on the control of the production of ethyl alcohol and alcoholic products, their bottling, storage, and distribution on January 29. The document has been published in the Lex.uz database.
The new regulation will take effect from May 1 and will replace the order established in 1998. It governs the production, bottling, storage, and sale of alcoholic beverages, as well as consumer and technical ethyl alcohol, along with the procedures for their accounting.
The production is permitted only with a license issued by the Inspection for the Regulation of Tobacco and Alcohol Markets. The organization, established in June 2024, will be responsible for approving production instructions in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, as well as regulations jointly with relevant research institutions.
Producers must keep records of alcoholic products at all stages, as well as apply digital labeling to containers and enter data about them into the Asl Belgisi system.
The transportation of alcohol (excluding natural and fortified wines) is allowed only with excise stamps and digital labeling. An exception is made for unbottled products, which can be transported in special tankers.
Wine in production must undergo an inventory twice a year — on December 1 and July 1. The volumes of raw materials for fortified wine made from processed grapes are determined based on the inventories conducted on December 1 of the reporting year and April 1 of the year following the harvest.
Additionally, producers must install special meters to account for alcohol and beverages. Data from these meters will be transmitted in real-time to the online system for the production and circulation of alcohol and tobacco products.
The transportation of ethyl alcohol is permitted only in vehicles equipped with GPS trackers. Violating this requirement may lead to a license suspension for 10 days.
The fine for selling alcohol without excise stamps or with counterfeit excise stamps is increased fourfold — from 50 to 200 BRV (75 million sums). In the event of a repeated violation of licensing requirements for alcohol production, the fine will amount to 500 BRV (187.5 million sums).
The procedure for imposing fines for using facilities to produce vodka and liqueurs at less than 60% of their maximum capacity has changed. It will be 50% of the excise tax paid for the unfulfilled part, and the fine will be refunded upon achieving the target in the next period.
The norm prohibiting the use of production equipment by two manufacturers has been removed. Additionally, the requirement that only license holders could import containers, labeling, and sealing materials for alcohol has been abolished.
Earlier, Spot reported on how excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco products will change in 2025.