Expert: Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise must be involved in the formation of the Register of Equipment for the Production of Tobacco Products
Kyiv • UNN
The Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise should be involved in the formation of the Register of Equipment for the Production of Tobacco Products in order to effectively combat the illegal tobacco market.
Without the active participation of specialists from Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise, the creation of the Register of Equipment for the Production of Tobacco Products will not have the proper effect in the fight against the shadow market in this area. This opinion was voiced by the expert on taxation of the Growford Institute, Candidate of Economic Sciences Tetiana Koshchuk in an exclusive commentary to UNN.
Details
According to her, the Register of Equipment for the Preparation or Processing of Tobacco, Tobacco Raw Materials, and Industrial Production of Tobacco Products, which the government has instructed the Tax Service to create, is necessary to strengthen the fight against the illegal production of tobacco products. However, to maximize the de-shadowing of the tobacco market, a set of different solutions is needed.
"Now we have the problem of identifying the counterfeit products themselves and the lines on which they are produced. As soon as it is clear what kind of equipment is used, we can immediately start certain procedural actions so that these cases of production of illegal products can be stopped faster and the manufacturers can be closed.
It is clear that this one measure alone can have a rather limited effect on the overall level of illegal trade in tobacco products, and a set of solutions is needed," said Koshchuk.
The economist added that this Register will be more effective if the Customs Service and the Bureau of Economic Security are involved in its work, as it is necessary to identify supply channels for equipment and raw materials, identify possible smuggling routes, etc.
The expert also noted that specialists of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise should take an active part in the creation and functioning of the Register.
"It is best to involve KFI at the stage of creating the Registry and to prescribe its functions in this regulatory framework for its functioning. Perhaps it is necessary to add what powers and obligations they have. It is necessary to introduce cooperation between the State Tax Service and KFI at the operational level. If this process is effectively established, it will have a significant impact on the level of illegal trade in tobacco products, as it will be possible to quickly prove that each particular pack of cigarettes was produced at a particular enterprise in an illegal way," said Koshchuk.
She also believes that the creation of such a register will speed up the process of creating a database of tobacco product samples. Together, this will make it possible to fight the shadow tobacco market more effectively.
Optional
Oleksandr Ruvin, Director of Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise, in an exclusive interview with UNN said that the Register of Tobacco Products Equipment should be supplemented with criteria that will make it as effective as possible in the fight against the shadow tobacco market.
"In our opinion, the Register that will be created is undoubtedly important, but it should be supplemented with criteria that are important for its practical use. Without practical use, new tools to combat the illegal tobacco market will not be effective.
For example, according to the Register, owners or users of tobacco processing and manufacturing equipment must submit information on the basis for importing such equipment into the territory of Ukraine, its type, location address, etc. These data are certainly important and should be recorded, but for the practical study of an existing cigarette pack, other features that are currently not mentioned anywhere are more important - in simple terms, these are the same reference samples from production lines, etc.", Ruvin said.
