A working group is being formed in the State Duma to discuss the ban on the exploitation of “alcohol” in residential buildings. Maxim Topilin, head of the Economic Policy Committee, told Russian media about this.
How writing “Kommersant, on May 25, the President of the Federation of Restaurant and Hotel Owners (FRiO) Igor Bukharov sent a letter to the committee asking to involve representatives of the professional association in the discussion of the issue.
According to Maksim Topilin, the composition of the working group to discuss the bill has not yet been approved.
“We are still forming a working group, we will see what proposals we have. Somewhere in June we expect to achieve something, but so far I can’t tell you anything concrete,” he said.
Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy Mikhail Delyagin added in an interview with Russian media that the main task now is to “cut off” wild liquors “that create problems for people without touching to normal and civilized affairs”.
He pointed out that in St. Petersburg there are a sufficient number of small wineries that do not create inconvenience for residents and maintain a “civilized and normal level”, but may be subject to restrictions for formal reasons. .
“If before it was clear that if the work of ‘alcohol’ had received 15 calls to law enforcement, it should be closed to hell as a hotbed of obscenity, but now, when ‘a large number of citizen applications are simply not registered or accepted, but are immediately thrown into the basket, such a formal criterion does not work. So now there is a search for a formal criterion,” Delyagin explained.
At the same time, the MP pointed out that he was not a member of the working group, but the topic of restrictions for “alcoholic beverages” was discussed in the Economic Policy Committee.
“For now, as far as I know, the area will be taken into account. That is, below a certain area in a residential building, it will not be possible to have such establishments of this type, but in my experience in Saint-lose them for formal reasons,” Delyagin said.
In mid-May, about complaints about the so-called liquor in apartment buildings, which “sell alcohol at night in the form of pseudo-cafes”, in his telegram channel writing Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin. At the same time, he raised the question of the need to prohibit the work of such establishments at night.
At the same time, the Federation of Restaurant and Hotel Owners said that about 38% of all catering establishments that have a license to sell alcohol are located in residential buildings, and the restriction on the sale of alcohol the night can hit hard the conscientious actors of the market, against whom no one has any recourse, neither the tenants nor the supervisory authorities. FRIO has also warned that the closure of these organizations could have a negative impact on domestic tourism, reports Kommersant.
According to FRIO vice-president Alexei Nebolsin, a ban on the sale of alcohol at night could lead to the closure of many establishments. At the same time, the sale of alcohol accounts for around 50-60% of restaurant revenue and up to 90% of bar revenue.
Igor Kosarev, President of the Union of Producers of Alcoholic Products (GC Rust, Beluga Group, Ladoga, etc.), noted that restrictions on the sale of alcohol in residential buildings could carry corruption risks and lead to increase in the sale of illegal products. alcohol. He also questioned who and how would determine whether the establishment is a “liquor store” or a “regular coffee shop.”
Vyacheslav Mamontov, executive director of the Association of Beer, Malt and Beverage Producers (which brings together AB InBev Efes, Baltika, Heineken United Brewery), is convinced that the restrictions will only help players and conscientious consumers if they only target illegal products.
Now, according to the Ministry of Finance, it is possible to retail alcohol in catering establishments in residential buildings only if the total area of ​​​​the premises exceeds 20 square meters. The ministry also stressed that the regions have the right to independently establish additional restrictions, including increasing the minimum permitted area of ​​​​the hall, writes Kommersant.
A total ban, according to the agency, could lead to fewer bona fide players in the market, as well as a lower level of competition and job cuts. The Ministry of Industry and Trade has not yet taken a position on this issue.
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