Spirit producers fight for lower duties as Sejm discusses excise tax

The Sejm Public Finance Commission will discuss the amendments to the excise-tax bill today, including the controversial issue of lowering duties on spirits. According to the amendment, issued by the National Council of the Spirit Processing Industry (KRPS), the tax would be reduced zł. 4,400 per hectoliter of pure alcohol (which could be further reduced to zł. 3,000 by the Finance Minister), while the current proposed maximum in the bill is zł. 6,300. "We do not understand why the Finance Ministry wants to worsen the conditions for the sector. In view of paragraph 217 of the Constitution, only the Sejm is entitled to decide on tax levels," said deputy president of KPRS Henryk Tomasik. The Agriculture Ministry supported the producers, arguing that a lower duty would help limit smuggling and enhance the competitiveness of the sector on the EU market. (Puls Biznesu, pp. 1, 7) M.K.