The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has added the production and trade of alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, fuel and fuel storage to the list of businesses that cannot start operations based on the principles of declaration under martial law. The Government made the relevant decision at its meeting on 10 September.

“Today’s decision will make it possible to strengthen control over the circulation of highly liquid excisable goods of strategic importance for the state, which are alcohol and fuel. And also goods with a harmful effect when consumed, in particular tobacco and spirits. At the same time, it should be clear that this is not the rule but the exception. The Government remains determined to implement the policy of deregulation. Since the beginning of the large-scale aggression, we have transferred more than 500 authorization procedures to the declarative principle. We plan to reduce the number of types of permit documents to five. The plan for the reconstruction of Ukraine presented to our Western partners in Lugano, includes a number of other steps designed to create a service-oriented system of state supervision. At the same time, deregulation must be balanced and meet the interests of the state and society in the first place,” said Yuliia Svyrydenko, First Vice Prime Minister – Minister of Economy of Ukraine.

According to the Government’s decision, the list of businesses that cannot start operations on the principles of declaration under martial law includes activities in the field of production and trade of ethyl alcohol, cognac and fruit alcohol, grain distillate and bioethanol. As well as production and trade of alcoholic beverages and tobacco products as well as liquids used in electronic cigarettes. And finally, the production, trade and storage of fuel. From now on, all these types of activities can be carried out only on the basis of a license.

According to the Ministry of Economy, this step will allow to increase revenues to local budgets, prevent possible abuses in the circulation of goods, which pose a threat to the life and health of the population.

Let us remind you that the Government previously approved a bill on simplifying permit procedures for acquiring the right to land and starting construction during the implementation of projects aimed at economic recovery. During martial law and during the reconstruction period, entrepreneurs implementing projects included in the List of Economic Recovery Projects get the most favourable conditions for investment.