kyrgyzstan - Tobacco Reporter

Kyrgyz Health Minister Proposes Raising Tobacco Taxes

Mike Macdonald — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 20:48:55 +0000

Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Health, Erkin Checheybayev, proposed raising excise taxes on tobacco products as part of a broader effort to improve public health, particularly among the country’s youth. Roughly 22% of adults in Kyrgyzstan smoke.

Earlier this week, a delegation from the WHO FCTC Knowledge Hub met with Checheybayev to present the TETSiM simulation model, an analytical tool demonstrating how raising excise taxes can both reduce tobacco consumption and increase government revenue. The discussion focused on strategies to reduce tobacco affordability and consumption through effective taxation measures. “Despite the public health burden, Kyrgyzstan’s current tobacco excise tax remains below 50% of the retail price of cigarettes, significantly lower than the WHO-recommended threshold of 75% or more,” The Times of Central Asia said.

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Kyrgyzstan to Ban E-cigarettes

nic360 — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 06:51:08 +0000

Kyrgyzstan will ban vapes from mid-2025.

President Sadyr Japarov signed a law prohibiting the import, circulation and use of electronic cigarettes.

After July 1, 2025, those caught vaping will risk a fine $115 and sellers of e-cigarettes will be subject of a penalty ranging from $230 to $750.

Importing electronic cigarettes will result in correctional labor for two months to one year or a fine of up to $1,390. Meanwhile, importing electronic cigarettes in large quantities will result in a fine of up to $2,300 or imprisonment for up to two years.

The law, titled “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts in the Sphere of Protecting Citizens’ Health,” will come into force on July 1, 2025.

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Kyrgyzstan Mulls Temporary Market Closure

nic360 — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 16:09:14 +0000

Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Economy and Commerce has proposed a ban on the import, transit or reexport of cigarettes for six months, reports Trend News Agency.

With the measure, the ministry aims to protect Kyrgyz citizens against counterfeit and uncertified cigarettes, which evade quality standards. It also seeks to strengthen efforts against cigarette smuggling and ensure that tax revenue projections for the state budget are met.

According to the tax service, authorities confiscated 65,231 duty-avoiding packs of cigarettes in 2023. Illicit products claimed 17.7 percent of the Kyrgyz cigarette market that year.

Many of the counterfeit products uncovered were manufactured in Serbia and the United Arab Emirates.

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Kyrgyzstan Proposes Ban on Vapes

nic360 — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 15:58:00 +0000

Shairbek Tashiev, Member of Parliament in Kyrgyzstan, has initiated a bill that would amend the Code of Offenses and the Criminal Code to protect citizens’ health from tobacco and nicotine consumption and exposure to smoke, reports the AKIPress News Agency.

The amendments were submitted in February.

Tashiev proposed banning import of electronic cigarettes with a tank containing special liquid. Violators would face a fine of KGS150,000 ($1,683) to KGS200,000 or imprisonment for up to two years.

Vaping will be banned in undesignated places, with violators facing fines of KGS40,000 for individuals and KGS60,000 for legal entities.

Individuals caught selling e-cigarettes with tanks will face fines of KGS50,000, and legal entities will face fines of KGS65,000.

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