Colombia: Local government and business unite to protect liquor monopoly

A proposed law currently awaiting approval by Colombia’s legislature has caused a stir by threatening to change the fiscal status of the distilled liquor industry, modifying as well the tax regime for the consumption of distilled beverages. Across Colombia, governors and liquor-makers have presented joint proposals that try to preserve the existing monopoly on sales and tax collection, which accounts for significant amounts of income, designated to be spent on health and education.

“Local ‘departamentos’ (counties) receive a greater share of the money collected as taxes on consumption, which could be seriously threatened by the implementation of this proposed new law. We are embarking on a unified effort between several departamentos in order to present our own proposals.

“We agree with the country’s liquor-makers, backed by governors and other agencies, in that the monopoly should be defended on constitutional grounds against the proposed law”, said Lácides Robles, Deputy Director for the National Federation of Departamentos (FND).

The Liquor commission will meet this Tuesday in Medellin to defend this position before the Foreign Trade Ministry, before the law proposal is heard by the Congress on February 15th.

Full content: El Diario

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