The Tax Service has launched a telephone line for the verification of the excise stamps put on the alcoholic products, Info-Prim Neo reports. The companies and people that will identify alcoholic beverages sold without excise stamps or with stamps that do not correspond to the standard form will be able to inform the tax authorities on 022 822-228. Telling the number of the excise stamp to the operator, the applicants will be able to quickly obtain detailed information about the given stamp. In case of forgery, the excise stamp will be registered and the Tax Service will initiate an operative inspection. Related statements were made by the head of the State Main Tax Inspectorate Nicolae Platon in a news conference. Nicolae Platon said the rise in excise stamps on alcoholic beverages from 13.5 lei per 0.5 liters (40% alcohol) to 17.2 lei approved this January led to an increase in the number of cases of forging excise stamps. “So far this year, the Fiscal Anti-Fraud Division has carried out about 200 inspections at producers, distributors, storehouses and shopping centers all over the country. There were identified approximately 20,000 bottles with forged excise stamps to the value of 9.4 million lei. Though the fines for forging stamps are heavy, between 50,000 to 250,000 lei, some of the producers do not abandon such practices and continue to cause damage to the state and the consumers,” he stated. The calls to the hotline can be made from any Moldovan settlements from Monday through Friday, between 8:00 and 22:00. According to Sergiu Panzaru, division head at the state-run company Fiscservinform, the authenticity of the excise stamps put on alcoholic beverages can be determined by accessing the website www.servicii.fisc.md, where this informative electronic service is available.