Excise taxes on unhealthy products, including tobacco products, carbonated sugar-sweetened beverages, and alcohol, should be raised. Health Minister of Kyrgyzstan Erkin Checheybaev stated in an interview with Kabar news agency.
According to him, the funds from the increased taxes should be directed to the budget and then spent on disease prevention, information campaigns, and social videos about the dangers of sugar, salt, and other substances.
The official emphasized the need to limit the availability of unhealthy products, as well as their sales hours.
«For example, in developed countries, there are strict restrictions on alcohol sales at night—after 10 p.m. and until the morning. Before 9 a.m. or 10 a.m., you won’t find alcohol in stores, only in restaurants, which sell it for a lot of money. After 10 p.m., criminal offences usually occur—drunk driving, domestic violence, fights, and street hooliganism—because alcohol can be purchased at any 24-hour store. We need to reduce the number of places where you can buy cigarettes and alcohol, and grocery stores shouldn’t sell them,» he added.
Earlier, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Edil Baisalov also stated that cigarettes, alcohol, and sugary drinks in Kyrgyzstan should be more expensive.
