Market & legal data in the tobacco alternatives sector in Kyrgyzstan

8th October 2024: Kyrgyzstan: The Ministry of Economy and Commerce has proposed imposing a six-month ban on the import, transit and re-export of cigarettes to Kyrgyzstan from countries that are not member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), media reports. The decision seeks to protect the health of citizens from the consumption of counterfeit, uncertified cigarettes. We understand the measure would not apply to other tobacco and vaping products. The corresponding government resolution has been submitted for consultation.
12th September 2024: Commonwealth of Independent States: The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS, an intergovernmental organisation in Eurasia, consisting of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) has finished creating an action plan for all member states to prevent the harmful effects of tobacco and nicotine products on public health, media reports. Representatives from several member states have participated in a videoconference to discuss and make final edits to the plan. After the meeting, it was decided to get the plan approved domestically and then submit it to the CIS Council of Heads of Government for further review.
12th August 2024: EAEU: The Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) – the executive body of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) – has told TobaccoIntelligence that the revised draft of the technical regulation for nicotine-containing products was recently reviewed at a meeting of the working group held on 16th July. At the meeting, it was decided to conduct a metrological expertise and regulatory impact assessments of the regulation. The EEC also said the draft regulation will have to undergo the internal approval process and further consideration at the meetings of the EEC and the EEC Council. The draft would provide the common product, notification and labelling requirements for vaping products and heated tobacco for all EAEU member states. However, considering the recent ban on vaping products in Kazakhstan, we understand the standard rules, if adopted, would not apply in Kazakhstan in relation to vaping products.
28th March 2024: Kyrgyzstan: Tobacco product manufacturers and importers are required to submit a product report to the Ministry of Health by 31st March, as shown in our our compliance calendar.
6th March 2024: Kyrgyzstan: President Sadyr Japarov has reportedly signed a law that provides a sanction regime for violating the requirements of the Tobacco Act, adjusting the current tobacco sanctions and making them applicable to vaping and heated tobacco products; however, it is not publicly available yet.
30th January 2024: Kyrgyzstan: The Ministry of Health intends to amend the sanctions regime for tobacco and vaping products, including for violations of public use requirements, by introducing fines, media reports. The proposal has been published for public discussion, but the deadline is unknown.
13th September 2023: Kyrgyzstan: The Committee on Budget, Economic and Fiscal Policy of the Jogorku Kenesh (parliament) has approved the amendment seeking to oblige all organisations and enterprises, including state and local authorities, to equip designated smoking/vaping areas, media reports.
27th July 2023: Kyrgyzstan: Members of the country’s parliament, the Supreme Council, have proposed obliging all organisations, enterprises and public places to establish designated smoking areas, media reports. The use of both e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products are equated in Kyrgyzstan with smoking.
31st March 2023: Kyrgyzstan: The Tobacco Act states that today, 31st March, is the deadline for manufacturers and importers of heated tobacco consumables and devices for tobacco heating to submit specific product information to the Ministry of Health. This includes information on manufactured and/or imported products, data on the category of consumers the design of such products is aimed at and data on the applied warnings, to name a few. This information must be submitted annually no later than 31st March of the year following the reporting year.
17th March 2023: Kyrgyzstan: The parliament approved the bill "On amendments to certain legislative acts of the Kyrgyz Republic in the field of taxation" in the second and third readings, media reports. The bill would apparently change the taxation mechanism for heated tobacco products so they would be taxed based on weight (kg) instead of quantity (pieces), underpinning the principle of harm reduction. The consolidated version of the bill is not yet public. The bill would need to be signed by the president before it comes into effect.
10th January 2023: Kyrgyzstan: The tax rate for heated tobacco consumables has increased from 1st January to KGS2,000 ($23.35) per 1,000.
9th November 2022: EAEU: Representatives of all five Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries – Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia – attended a meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to discuss the regulation of nicotine-containing products. Members said all such products were “harmful” and that in line with World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, heated tobacco products should be considered not as electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) but as tobacco and “regulated as strictly as traditional tobacco products” as there was no evidence that they are any less harmful than cigarettes.

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