Liquor licenses to be increased by up to nine times for larger retail chains

In an effort to help small retailers, the government and Parliament plan to increase the fee supermarkets pay for their license to sell alcohol. A ccording to proposed regulations, license fees would depend on the sales of alcohol conducted by a given retailer. Shops whose revenues from the sale of spirits exceed zl. 70,000 a year, would pay a fixed annual fee of zl. 1,800 plus 2.7% of their revenues. The National Agency for Alcohol-Related P roblems (PARPA) estimates that as a result, small stores would pay around half the current fee, while supermarkets could pay nine times as much as at present. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 20 ) T.J.