28 февраля 2024 — 17:00
The Sukhumi plant of "Wines and Waters of Abkhazia" LLC has suspended work due to the introduction by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of a new excise tax on wine materials imported into the republic, Interfax reports, referring to statements by the chief winemaker of the enterprise Valery Avidzba.
"The Cabinet of Ministers has decided to introduce a 30% excise tax on wine materials imported into the republic. This will have a negative impact on wine production, as it significantly increases the cost of our products," Avidzba said.
According to him, distributors warned the plant's management that the increase in wine prices would negatively affect the sale of products in Russia.
"In this regard, we have suspended our activities. The decision to suspend production is temporary. We are negotiating with the government and hope that the problem will be resolved in the near future and the Cabinet of Ministers will reverse the decision it made," Avidzba said.
Wines and Waters of Abkhazia LLC produces about 28 million bottles of wine per year. The company is the largest Abkhazian exporter in the Russian market, where it supplies 17 types of wines and cognacs.