Kazakhstan's MVD Proposes New Alcohol Sales Ban to Curb Consumption and Crime
Kazakhstan's Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) has proposed a new alcohol sales ban, aiming to reduce consumption and crime. Political analyst Gaziz Abishev has voiced concerns about the effectiveness and potential consequences of this measure.
The MVD, led by Erjan Sadoven, plans to restrict alcohol sales to specialized stores and ban online sales. This follows a previous proposal to limit operating hours for alcohol retailers. However, Abishev argues that such bans have not proven effective in reducing consumption, as seen in the past full ban on alcohol advertising.
Abishev believes the latest proposal may shift responsibility for crime prevention onto businesses. He suggests that specialized alcohol stores could benefit from the ban, expanding their market presence and profits. Moreover, he warns about potential corruption risks due to the ban, as no clear responsibility for managing these risks has been assigned.
The approach of banning alcohol sales is being expanded throughout the region, with 429 villages in Kazakhstan already having abandoned alcohol sales. Some areas have reported no offenses related to alcohol for over two years.
The MVD's proposal to ban alcohol sales in regular stores and online aims to tackle consumption and crime. However, political analyst Gaziz Abishev raises concerns about the effectiveness of such measures and potential risks, including corruption. As the ban expands, it remains to be seen how these issues will be addressed.
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