Parliament opposes to increasing excises for alcoholic beverages

The communist MPs rejected on Thursday, October 26, a draft law stipulating doubling of excises related to strong alcoholic beverages. The draft law generated long debates between the MPs of the majority faction and opposition ones, who supported the draft law. The draft law was introduced by MP Valeriu Guma and includes increasing from 35% to 70% excises for alcoholic beverages, such as brandy, cognac, liqueur, rum, cocktail etc. According to the author, the legislative initiative aims at protecting the health of the population by minimizing the exaggerated consumption of strong drinks and stimulating through economic methods the local producers of wine. Guma also mentioned that the prices of strong drinks are 5-6-fold lower compared with EU and 2-3 lower compared with the Russian Federation or Ukraine. According to the cited source, the increase of the excises will bring to the state budget about MDL 300 mln. The draft was contested by the Communist MPs. They declared that the increase of these beverages will not diminish the consumption of strong drinks, but will increase the figure of fake products. The Minister of Finances, Mihai Pop declared that the increase of excises will be performed gradually. However, the opposition MPs supported the draft law. Several of them declared that such an amendment is necessary. According to Gheorghe Susarenco, the government party is opposing to this amendment on electoral grounds. The draft was rejected through the vote of the communist party.