Ildar Khalikov: “We have to stop the growth of illegal alcohol market”

On January 23 at a summary session of State Alcohol Inspection of the Republic of Tatarstan on state control for production, turnover and quality of ethanol, alcohol products and protection of customers' rights Prime Minister Ildar Khalikov said that counteraction to the growing illegal alcohol market should become a common task of regional authorities, local self-government, public organisations and the public.

Before the session Ildar Khalikov met with Head of interregional department of Federal Service for Alcohol Market Regulation on Volga Federal District Evgeny Kachalin and Director General of OAO “Tatspirtprom” Giorgy Kupriyanov and discussed problems faced by the major alcohol producer in Tatarstan.

Head of State Alcohol Inspection of the Republic of Tatarstan Igor Marchenko made report on results of work in 2013. He informed that the number of citizens’ appeals decreased, and the best part of it fall to the trading sector. There was also an increase in cases of adulterated products.

The State Alcohol Inspection carried out inspections by 7 groups of products, 47 items (40 per cent of goods) were of low quality and sometimes even dangerous to health. Expired products for the total sum of 1.7 mln rubles were found and withdrawn from the market.

The priority tasks to be fulfilled by State Alcohol Inspection of the Republic of Tatarstan in 2014 are to check activity of distribution networks that ignore local produce, and control of quality, safety and legality of alcohol production and turnover. 30 mln litres of alcohol products were imported to Tatarstan and inspected in 2013. 680 thousand litres did not meet requirements of the state standard, safety and legality.

Commenting on the report of Igor Marchenko, Ildar Khalikov asked not to judge about volumes of illegal alcohol market just by decrease in legal sales.

The monitoring of time limits for selling alcohol products was carried out at 5 thousand retail facilities. Violations were revealed at 681 of them.

Head of interregional department of Federal Service for Alcohol Market Regulation on Volga Federal District Evgeny Kachalin said he was satisfied with work of State Alcohol Inspection of the Republic of Tatarstan, and noted good interaction with regional authorities.