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Lukashenko: Alcohol and tobacco sector will stay under state control

MINSK, 2 December (BelTA) - Belarus will retain state control over the alcohol and tobacco sector, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he made personnel decisions on 2 December, BelTA has learned.

While approving the candidacy of Andrei Demidovets for the post of Director General of MINSK KRISTALL – MINSK KRISTALL GROUP Holding Management Company, the president noted that this and other alcoholic beverages companies are managed by the state. “We have a monopoly on the production and sales of alcoholic beverages. We will stick to this course,” the head of state emphasized. “Although many friendly countries have expressed dissatisfaction  of that.” 

“It is necessary to keep all alcohol under control. Tobacco products, alcohol account for a big part of the budget and this sector closely related to people's health,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. “There should be no alcohol of poor quality on the market. I do not remember that state-owned enterprises have ever produced something of poor quality. If we have a compete mess on the market, we will have self-distilled vodka or other alcohol of poor quality produced in garages and sold on the market for cheap.”

Factoring in these considerations, this sector will remain under the control of the state in Belarus. “Therefore, the state control will remain over alcohol and tobacco in the country,” the president said.

Addressing Andrei Demidovets, Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed: “We hope that our leading enterprise will be in good order, and we do not have things we used to have there before.”

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