The tax hike flows from President Medvedev's anti-alcohol drive and an attempt to increase tax revenues.
It raises taxes on wine by an average of 32 percent, year-on-year for the next three years. Excise taxes on wine will increase from 2.6 rubles per litre in 2009 to 3.5 rubles in 2010, 4.8 rubles in 2011 and 6 rubles in 2012. (i.e from NZ$0.13 to NZ$0.30 per litre).
This is a much less significant component of the final retail price of wine compared to beer. The import duty (20 percent of customs value) and the value-added tax (18 percent) still have the most effect on the retail price.
Taxes on beer rise most dramatically, by 200 percent in 2010, 10 percent in 2011 and 20 percent in 2012.
