The poster reads: "Don't Kill Small Business!" The rally was held to protest the bill on the state monopoly on alcohol.
Photo: Sergey Mikheev
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Putin Opposes State Monopoly on Alcohol
Russian President Vladimir Putin has opposed draft amendments to the law on the state regulation of alcohol production which introduces state monopoly on alcohol in Russia. The president’s letter mentions that the amendments run against Russian laws. The State Duma promised to “consider the president’s opinion”.
Vladimir Putin points out in the letter to the Duma’s speaker Boris Gryzlov that the amendments impose extra restrictions and demands on alcohol production and “do not comply with market principles of economy”. The president also believes that some points in the bill must be regulated by the Tax Code, therefore the bill cannot be submitted to the second reading at the parliament.
The State Duma passed amendments to the alcohol law this May. Under the amendments, a special company charged by the government is to oversee the circulation of alcohol on the Russian market. More radical suggestions have been added since then. A number of deputies have come up with an initiative to introduce state monopoly not only on alcohol but on alcohol products and sales as well.
Officials at the Duma say they have received the president’s letter, and they are going to discuss the amendments again. They said, however, that “the idea of state monopoly on alcohol is perfectly valid and does not violate free market principles”.
Alcohol market participants welcomed the president’s letter and said they hoped that more attention will be paid to all issues concerning alcohol production, circulation and sales which are described in the bill.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Aug. 23, 2006
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