Azerbaijan government suspends alcohol law

The government in December closed currency exchange points in the country in order to prop up the ailing manat. That measure was soon followed by the signing of a decree by Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev that made it a criminal offense to sell alcohol for cash from Jan. 1

The penalty for violating the new law, depending on the amount of alcohol purchased for cash. If the purchase cash price ranges from 50 manats up to 1000 manats, a fine amounting will be from 1000 to 2000 manats, or a punishment in the form of correctional labor for up to one year, or imprisonment for one year will be applied, Azerbaijan’s Trend news agency reported.

The new law was widely ridiculed on social networks as a senseless step by the government in the face of economic crisis. Pro-government media have supported the suspension of the law, saying the president had suspended it because the people were against the legislation.

According to deputy tax minister of Azerbaijan, Sahib Alakbarov, the law was signed in order to encourage non-cash payments with debit or credit cards. But the law lifted because there are issues related to documentation processes: "We, the Presidential Administration and the president received too many appeals from entrepreneurs: The president always supports the entrepreneur, that is why the law was temporary cancelled.”