TODAY.AZ / Business

Eyub Guseynov: "90% of cigarrettes, sold in Azerbaijan, are out of time"

30 January 2008 [12:53] - TODAY.AZ


The monitoring of establishments, selling alcohol drinks and tobacco wares, which will be launched by Azerbaijan's Ministry of Agriculture in February, will not reveal causes or lead to elimination of shortcomings observed on the market of alcohol drinks and tobacco wares.

The statement was made by Eyub Guseynov, chairman of the Union of Free Consumers.

He considers that the problems have been too neglected  and even the attempt to settle them will be too complicated. According to him, such a monitoring is necessary only for imitation of intensive activity.

"Nearly 95% of alcohol production sold in Azerbaijan do not contain information about the expiration term, which proves that this production does not meet standards and is harmful for consumers' health.

Moreover, the alcohol drinks, imported to Azerbaijan, are sold by high prices, as the licensing  of individuals and legal entities, importing alcohol drinks to our country, has been transferred from the Ministry of Economic Development to the Ministry of Agriculture. There is an information that individuals and legal entities, importing alcohol drinks to our country, have to pay too much for their licensing".

He said this affects the consumers, who have to pay for the "rates" of any ministry or department.

He also commented on the situation on the market of tobacco wares.

"Almost 60% of this production is sold on the domestic market without a license and about 25% are smuggled.

Moreover, though our country has joined the WHO framework convention on combating smoking and adopted a law "On Tobacco and Tobacco Wares", which, in particular, restricts the sale of cigarettes near the medical and educational establishments, in fact the said convention and laws and are observed.

And, finally, almost 90% of cigarettes, sold on the Azerbaijani market, are out of time", he said.

/Day.Az/
URL: http://www.today.az/news/business/42750.html

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