Govt unhappy with alcoholic beverage registration system
 
The Russian government is not satisfied with the current operation of the alcoholic beverage registration system known as EGAIS, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said following the government's talks on the system.

"I think that EGAIS still needs a substantial revision. As a minister, I am not satisfied with the operation of the system," Kudrin said.

Currently the registration system puts excessive pressure on businesses, imposing numerous requirements on them, Kudrin added.

The alcohol registration system is expected to help combat Russia's large counterfeiting problem in the sector, but its introduction has been fraught with delays, with the latest target for full launch now set for June 1, 2008.
Initially, it was supposed be fully operational on July 1, 2006.

The registration system envisages using new excise stamps for alcoholic beverage bottles with a barcode and barcode scanners for entering information about production and sales of alcohol into the system.
All information about the production and sales of alcohol goes to the Federal Tax Service.