Kyrgyzstan offers to fine 50,000 soms for imports of non-enriched flour 

Kyrgyzstan offers to fine 50,000 soms for imports of non-enriched flour. Amendments to the Code of Administrative Responsibility initiated by MPs have been submitted for public discussion.

Law "On Enrichment of Baking Flour" was adopted in 2009. However, its regulations, according to deputies, are not executed.

"Uncontrolled import of non-enriched flour - with tax evasion - became possible due to the accession of the Kyrgyz Republic to the EEU. Free flour deliveries regime creates obstacles in republic's achieving the objectives aimed at reducing the level of iron deficiency especially among children and women in the sphere of health," noted the deputies.

Iron deficiency leads to delayed mental and physical development of children, derangements of women reproductive function, high maternal mortality, decreased resistance to infections.

According to the National Statistics Committee, there has been a decline in the production of enriched flour, despite the rise in wheat production and imports.

Imported flour is not enriched with additives as  it is done on a voluntary basis in Kazakhstan.

"The government doesn't use mechanisms to protect the domestic market and its consumers from imported low-quality products, laid down in the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union," the background statement says.

The bill proposes to impose on legal entities, citizens and entrepreneurs administrative fine of 500 calculated rates with the confiscation of non-enriched flour.