The State Tax Administration of Ukraine (STAU) has said that there is a risk of revenues shortfalls from excise fees in the 2009 national budget, and that it supports the increase in excise duties, its press service reported on Monday.
"Excise collection for the general fund of the national budget should be 1.6 times more than last year, while that for the special fund – almost 3.2 times more. However, there is a problem in ensuring this growth in revenues from excise duties under present law and actual production volumes," reads the release.
The administration said that the 2009, the national budget foresees UAH 12.643 billion in revenues from excise duties to the general fund, and UAH 6.422 billion to the special fund.
"In 2009, the revenue target of the general fund for products, on which excise duties are imposed and form over 90% of revenues from excise duties [spirit, alcohol and tobacco] has a shortfall of around UAH 1.5 billion. There is a risk of UAH 2 billion in shortfalls for the special fund," the administration said.
According to the release, in late December 2008, parliament approved a law on a gradual increase in excise duties for spirit, alcohol, beverages, beer, tobacco, petrol and new cars, although the revenue target of the budget was calculated taking into account greater excise duties than the law foresees.
The STAU says that it is necessary to amend the 2009 national budget concerning excise duties.
