OREANDA-NEWS. November 09, 2009. The Russian parliament is set to triple beer excise duties in 2010. The Russian State Duma has adopted in the first reading the draft law on a sharp rise in beer excise duties which the government intends to enact in order to cover a deficit in the 2010 budget.

Duma members approved on Friday amendments to the Tax Code in the first reading which call for tripling the excise rate on beer with 0.5-8.6% alcohol content in 2010 to RUB 9 per liter, RUB 10 in 2011 and RUB 12 in 2012. Beer with said alcohol content accounts for over 90% of the Russian market. The Finance Ministry counts on additional revenue in the federal and regional budgets of around RUB 65 bn in 2010.