Competitors from the EEU do not allow Kyrgyzstan’s alcohol at their domestic markets, officials of the relevant department say

Almaty. November 24. Silkroadnews – Kyrgyz alcohol producers complain their competitors within the EEU drive Kyrgyz producers out from their domestic markets, head of the Association of Alcohol Producers Tursunbek Kurenkeev said, KyrTAG writes.

“Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus do not allow alcohol products from Kyrgyzstan at their markets, though our government canceled licensing for them. To import our alcohol products in Russia today we are required to provide payments making a 3-fold the amount of deposits from the imported goods, that is if you supply products worth 1 million som, you are required to provide a deposit in the amount of 3 million som. After joining the CU Kyrgyz producers expected to become a part to the 180-million market, yet, sad to say, we have lost a part of our market instead”, he said at the conference on Kyrgyzstan’ membership in the EEU on Thursday.

He also added, statistics show 5-6 years ago the Russian or Kazakhstani hot drinks used to be sold in big cities only, now their distribution covers small towns as well.

“In 2013 Russian beer consumption in the Kyrgyz Republic stood at 52%. Last year our government canceled import alcohol licensing for the EEU states, meaning we’ve got more opened for our neighbors and lost our market share.

Either these countries should remove their restrictions or Kyrgyzstan should also introduce the appropriate bans”, T. Kurenkeev summarized.