Ukrainian lawmakers mull legalizing the moonshine business. The bill on cancelling the legal norm that envisages criminal liability for the moonshine business has already been registered in the Verkhovna Rada, according to KyivWeekly. Its author – MP of the Party of Regions Oleh Nadosha – suggested cancellation of Article 176 in the Administrative Code of Ukraine, which stipulates a fine of 3–10 tax-free allowances for the production, storage and sale of moonshine and other fortified home-brewed spirits and equipment for their production.
A law on the legalization of moonshine production could simplify its sales, which the Criminal Code of Ukraine currently categorizes as a prohibited form of business activity. However, there is no reliable statistical data on moonshiners in Ukraine as the effective legislation does not differ between those who make moonshine for their personal consumption and those who produce it to make a profit. “The regulation and even the legalization of such activity is problematic,” Chairman of the Board of Advisors of the Nemiroff company Oleksandr Hlus pointed out.
On the other hand, industry experts are convinced that all that want to produce moonshine in Ukraine are currently doing so quite successfully. Neither toughening nor liberalization of state regulations will have any serious impact on an increase or reduction of their numbers, KW wrote this week.
