Armenia  to tighten rules for manufacturers and importers of tobacco  products and their substitutes

ArmInfo.The Armenian government proposes to tighten rules for manufacturers and importers of tobacco  products. The NA Standing Committee on Economic Issues discussed the proposed amendments to the Code on Administrative Offenses in the second reading at an extraordinary meeting on May 12.

Presenting the bill, Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan the recalled  that since January 1, 2024, the requirements set forth in the Customs  Union's "Technical Regulations on Tobacco Products" for tobacco  products have been in effect. According to them, consumer packs of  tobacco products must have graphic warning images that will inform  consumers about the dangers of smoking. The Minister noted that  during 2024, a number of manufacturers and importers did not follow  these rules, a number of organizations in the market did not bring  their products into line with the established requirements for  various reasons, preferring to pay the established fine of 400,000  drams, as a result of which unfair competitive conditions were  created for conscientious business operators.

Gevorg Papoyan informed that the Government proposes to tighten the  regulations. In particular, it is proposed to establish that the  production or import of tobacco products or tobacco product  substitutes that do not meet the requirements of technical  regulations for sale in Armenia shall entail the imposition of a fine  on the manufacturer and importer in the amount of one percent of the  sales turnover of the year preceding the given offense. According to  the draft law adopted in the first reading, it was imposed in the  amount of one percent of the revenue of the manufacturer and importer  in the year preceding the given offense.

The next proposal concerns the sale in Armenia of tobacco products or  tobacco product substitutes that do not meet the requirements of  technical regulations. The government is proposed to set the fine for  the seller at six hundred to nine hundred times the minimum wage. It  should be noted that in the draft law adopted in the first reading,  it was envisaged at seven hundred to one thousand times the minimum  wage for the seller.  The committee gave a positive opinion to the  amended bill submitted for second reading.