MOSCOW, April 27 (Itar-Tass) — Vodka price will go up to 250 roubles by 2014 in connection with a growing excise tax on ethyl spirits, head of the Federal Service for Supervision of the Alcohol Market Igor Chuyan declared at the Federation Council, where he spoke in "An Hour of the Government" format on Friday.
According to the new norms of the Taxation Code, as of July 1 the excise tax per liter of ethyl spirits is to go up from 254 to 300 roubles. In future, the excise tax increases will be rather considerable; in 2013 it will grow to 400 roubles and in 2014 - to 500 roubles, Chuyan said.
The excise tax increases will affect the vodka cost above all, he said. This year as a result of the increases a 0.5-liter vodka bottle will cost 150-160 roubles, in 2013 the price will go up to 190 roubles, and in 2014 - to 250 roubles, Chuyan said.
Regrettably, a growing excise tax entails higher profits of illegal business which are already estimated at 300-400 percent, Chuyan said. He admitted that enterprises producing illicit alcohol still remained on the market. In 2011 the number of such enterprises was 27 or three times up their number in 2010, Chuyan said.
Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko suggested tightening punishment to dealers for selling alcohol to children and teenagers. Although a ban on such alcohol sale already exists the punishment is so insignificant that it is no obstacle to the sale of alcohol to children, Matviyenko stressed.
"In many countries a person selling alcohol to teenagers is stripped of his business license; should we tighten our laws as well so as not to let our children and adolescents get drunk?" Matviyenko suggested.