RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/ACC/LVA/27
23September 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-3886)
Original: English Working Party onthe
Accession ofLatvia
ACCESSION OFLATVIA
Questionnaire onImport Licensing ofExcised Goods
Thefollowing information onimport licensing ofexcised goods hasbeenreceived from the
Ministry ofForeign Affairs oftheRepublic ofLatvia.
_______________
1. Importlicensingforentrepreneurialactivitieswithexcisedgoods-spiritsandalcoholicbeverages,
tobacco products, fuel,precious metals andjewellery -isameasure tomake asystematic anddefinite
order, based onconcrete basic principles, tosatisfy interests ofconsumers andthenational economy.
2. Thepurpose ofthelicensing istoprotect consumers 'interests against products oflowquality
orunknown origin, restriction ofillegal circulation ofexcised goods andtoobtain statistical information.
3. Asystem ofimport licensing applies togoods irrespective oftheircountry oforigin orcountry
ofexport.
4. Thelicensing system doesnotsetanylimitation onthequantity ofimported production or
thenumber oflicensed entrepreneurs. Importers areabsolutely independent andarefreetochoose
thesource ofimportation -country, producer, deliverer aswellasthekindandquantity ofimported
products.
5. Import licensing isregulated byRegulations oftheCabinet ofMinisters. Atthepresent time,
valid legislative acts,-i.e.,Regulation oftheCabinet ofMinisters No.248"OnStateMonopoly on
Spirits andAlcoholics Beverages" passed on20June1996, Regulation oftheCabinet ofMinisters
No.28"OnLicensing ofEntrepreneurial Activities withFuel" passed on23January 1996, Regulation
oftheCabinet ofMinisters No.148"OnLabelling, Transportation, Storage andSaleofTobacco
Products" passed on30May1995-arebeing revised toconform withWTO requirements. Regulations
oftheCabinet ofMinisters "OnControl ofCirculation ofPrecious Metals andJewellery" areinthe
draftstage. Thedraftlaw"OnAlcohol" isatthepreparatory stage forthird reading intheSaeima.
Thisdraftlawcontains requirements regarding entrepreneurial dealing withalcohol andtoimporters
aswell.
6. Theimport licensing system forspirits andalcoholic beverages, tobacco products, fuel,precious
metals andjewellery doesnotsetanyquantitative orvalue restrictions foranyparticular kinds ofgoods.
7. Themain requirements toentrepreneurs whowanttoreceive animport licence are:
- registration inCompanies ’Register ofRepublic ofLatvia;WT/ACC/LVA/27
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- verification thatthelocal government oftherelevant jurisdiction accepts carrying outthis
particular kindofactivities thelicence isapplied for;
- certification thattheimporter haspaidprevious taxes;
- technical andeconomic reference oftheenterprise withequity, asanindicator ofeconomical
stability;
- agreement withtheforeign company ofmanufacture ordistributor;
- quality certificate oftheimported production;
- conformitywiththerequirementsofspecializedauthoritiesconcerningstoringandtransportation
ofgoods (forimport offuelanditssubstitutes, precious metals andjewellery);
- requirementtotheapplicantsforimportlicencesdoesnotcompriseanydiscriminatingprovisions
tolicensing ofimported production ifcompared tolicensing ofhome-made production.
Toreceive thelicence, theentrepreneur mustsubmit anapplication totherelevant institution,
which grants thelicences according todefinite criteria, which reviews allnecessary documents submitted
withtheapplication andconfirms applicants ’compliance withexisting requirements.
Consideration ofapplications andissuance oflicences iswithin thecompetence ofthe
administrative State body -Excised Goods Department under theMinistry ofFinance.
Valid legislative actsprescribe 30daysasthemaximum termforconsideration ofanapplication.
According topractical experience, theconsideration ofapplications forimport licences andtheissuance
oflicences doesnotexceed 10working days. Itisforeseen that10daysasamaximum term for
consideration oftheapplication willreplace 30daysinlegislation until1October 1997.
8. Ifanapplication foralicence isrefused, thedecision oftheLicensing Commission andreasons
ofrefusal aregiven totheapplicant. Applicants havearighttoadjust forthereason forrefusal and
mayresubmit anapplication foralicence. Incaseapplicants disagree withadecision oftheLicensing
Commission torefuse toissuealicence, hehasarighttoturntothedirection oftheinstitution which
issues thelicence orhigher institution withaproposal torevise decision. Atanytime, theentrepreneur
hasarighttoappeal tojuridical authorities inconventional order.
9. Licences aregranted toallentrepreneurs whowanttoengage inentrepreneurial dealing with
import ofalcoholic beverages, tobacco products, fuel,precious metals andjewellery, without reference
andformofownership(State,private),i.e.,thereareunifiedrequirementsforreceivinglicence,identical
rights andorder ofdealing when licence isgranted. Thelistofimporters ispublished regularly.
10. Intheapplicationforanimportlicence,theentrepreneurmustindicatename,registrationnumber
anddate, address andthekindofentrepreneurial licensing required. Together withtheapplication,
theentrepreneur mustsubmit documents corresponding torequirements forpotential importers (page 7).
11. Declarations onthecurrent stock ofgoods before reception ofnewlicence orincaseof
complement oflicence.
12. Valid legislative actsprescribe thefollowing State dues1forimport licences:
- import ofalcoholic beverages forfreecirculation 3,000 LVL
- import ofalcoholic beverages without rights tosell
toother juridical persons 300LVL
1InSeptember 1997, when theCabinet ofMinisters adopts draftRegulations onImport Licensing,
theamounts ofState dueswillbechanged tocomply withtheAgreement onImport Licensing,WT/ACC/LVA/27
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- import ofspirits without rights toselltoother juridical persons 500LVL
- import oftobacco products forfreecirculation 500LVL
- import andwholesale offuel 2,000 LVL
- procurement, processing, manufacturing andsale
ofprecious metals andjewellery:
- forindividual enterprises 350LVL
- forcredit institutions 1000 LVL
- forpawnshops 1500 LVL
- forstock exchanges 2000 LVL
- forother enterprises 600LVL
13. Non-existent.
14. Theperiod ofvalidity ofanimport licence foralcoholic beverages, tobacco products andfuel
atthepresent timeisoneyear.Licences forprocurement, processing, manufacturing andsaleofprecious
metals andjewellery arevalid forfiveyears.
Until 1October 1997 question about validity termforimport licences isprovided toarrange
inthefollowing order:
- import licences issued without timerestriction, thereceiver ofthelicence hastoreregister
thelicence. Theterms andprocedure ofreregistration arestipulated bylegislative acts.Licences
which arenotreregistered become invalid.
15. Non-existent.
16. Only theperson towhom thelicence isissued, hastherighttousetheimport licence.
17. Non-existent.
18. Non-existent.
Theimport licensing forentrepreneurial activities withexcised goods -spirits andalcoholic
beverages, tobacco products, fuel,precious metals andjewellery maynotbeconnected withcurrency
exchange operations.
Foreign exchange regulation fallswithin theareaofresponsibility ofbanks legislation.