Georgia’s Parliament approves licensing for tobacco production

The Georgian Parliament has swiftly approved a new initiative to make tobacco production a licensed activity. The decision was supported in all three hearings on Friday, with the license fee set at 50,000 GEL.

The amendments to the Law On Tobacco Control specify that a license is now required for various aspects of tobacco production. This includes activities such as slicing, coating, dipping, and mixing raw tobacco, as well as the production of both filtered and unfiltered cigarettes. The packaging of finished tobacco products and cigarettes also falls under the new licensing requirements.

However, the new law exempts certain activities from licensing. These include the import of tobacco products into Georgia, the production of other types of tobacco products within the country, and the growing, primary processing, and cutting of tobacco by individuals.

The Georgian government will determine the specific rules and conditions for obtaining a tobacco production license through a normative act.

The explanatory note accompanying the draft law highlights the importance of improving and strengthening the tobacco production process to reduce the use of harmful raw materials. According to the note, high-tech processing by reputable manufacturers can significantly improve health protection standards for smokers, while production by unscrupulous manufacturers poses significant health risks.