English

Trade ministry opposition any restrictions on import of expensive liquors

The Belarusian trade ministry opposes any restrictions on the import of expensive liquors, Deputy Minister Vyachaslaw Drahun told reporters in Minsk on Tuesday.

The ministry has already drawn up a presidential edict providing for the unrestricted import of premium alcoholic beverages and submitted it to Alyaksandr Lukashenka. "The proposal was devised for the purpose of broadening the range [of drinks] and developing the restaurant business. I believe a decision on the subject will be made soon," Mr. Drahun said.

He said that a special government commission would hold a meeting soon to select companies that would be allowed to import liquor until the end of this year.

The deputy minister said that the government would continue handpick liquor importers for the time being as "completely justified approaches securing the transparent movement of alcohol to Belarus and the procedure of its import and export have not been devised so far." "We would not like to change drastically the fine-tuned mechanism that the country has today," he said. //BelaPAN