Saturday, December 14, 2019
Though the Tallinn city council was set to approve the capital’s alcohol sales restrictions bill during its sitting on Thursday, the city government withdrew the bill from the agenda. Chairman of the city council’s Centre Party group Toivo Tootsen told ERR that the city government wants more time to consult with concerned parties. “They are probably looking for a compromise to suit everyone that would still give citizens a few…
Greek student Davis Giorgi is a researcher and interested in the behavior and actions of people. Coming to Vilnius for his Master’s, he has been observing and studying the inhabitants. He has been shocked by the different varieties of alcohol, and the strong spirits, that are sold in supermarkets. Also, the high skyscraper apartments in Vilnius’ suburbs – that almost all look the same, also surprise him. After classes, he…
Dubai has loosened its liquor laws to allow tourists to purchase alcohol in state-controlled stores, previously only accessible to license-holding residents, as the United Arab Emirates saw the first drop in alcohol sales by volume in a decade. The new laws, which also let visitors to skyscraper-studded Dubai obtain liquor permits themselves for the first time, come amid a widening economic downturn affecting this oil-rich nation on the Arabian Peninsula.…
Ingenious entrepreneurs have found a way to bypass Lithuania’s strict alcohol sales restrictions. Instead of selling drinks, they have installed automated ‘alcohol storage machines’ where users can ‘borrow’ and ‘store’ alcohol. An MP has proposed to amend the law in order to close the loophole. Five ‘alcohol storage machines’ have been operating in Vilnius for two weeks, the daily Lietuvos Rytas has reported. Registered users can get strong alcoholic drinks…
Minister of Finance Martin Helme (EKRE) said on Thursday that as a result of lowering excise duty rates on alcohol, sales on Estonia’s northern border have increased, indicating that Finnish tourists are once again buying more alcohol to take back with them from Estonia. Speaking at the government press conference on Thursday, Helme said that initial figures are very encouraging, adding that it seems to him as though the government’s…
Lithuania’s alcohol control policy based on bans and tax increases has failed to have any major influence on consumption habits, according to a survey carried by scientists from Vilnius University. VU scientist Algirdas Bartkus is calling for the reduction of excises on all alcoholic beverages. “If we take a look at the excise policy, so it should not be satisfying in essence. The existing excise level is incompatible with income…
Road accidents, fighting in the streets and in bars, broken shop windows and cars, mountains of garbage, sexual harassment – this is the “Westworld” for NATO soldiers in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. On June 7, 2018, four armored personnel carriers of the US Army, Stryker, collided in a major road accident in the Prienai district. 13 US troops sought medical assistance. Another accident happened on the night of June 9…
After Estonia’s decision to reduce its excise tax on alcohol, alcohol sales in the border town of Valka have fallen, but not as dramatically as initially expected, Valka Mayor Vents Krauklis told Latvian Radio on Wednesday morning. Krauklis said that alcohol sales have dropped by about ten percent. According to Krauklis, Estonia’s main aim in reducing the excise tax on alcohol was to regain so-called alcohol tourists from Finland, which…
In the first five months of 2019, a total of 21 708 million litres of alcoholic drinks (except beer) was produced in Latvia, which is 2% more when compared to the same period of 2018, according to data from the State Revenue Service’s (SRS) compiled information on excise tax. In the first five months of 2019, a total of 25.36 million litres of alcoholic drinks (aside from beer) was commissioned…
On Monday, 8 July, Latvia’s Saeima approved in the final reading amendments to the Excise Tax Law by 15%, reducing excise tax rate for strong alcohol. Amendments will come to force from 1 August 2019 until 29 February 2020. 51 Saeima deputies voted in favour of the legislative draft and 31 voted against. Authors of the legislative draft explained that amendments are needed because changes in Estonia’s alcohol market will…
