The creation of a unified library of tobacco product samples on the basis of Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise will significantly expand the range of state opportunities to de-shadow this market. Oleksandr Ruvin, Director of Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise, told about the current stage of this process and why the final formation of such a library requires legislative changes in an exclusive commentary to UNN.
Details
According to Ruvin, a working group involving representatives of many law enforcement agencies of Ukraine, the State Tax Service of Ukraine, the State Customs Service of Ukraine, as well as representatives of the largest tobacco companies has met at KFI.
"It is expected that the library of reference samples of finished tobacco products will include all samples of tobacco products sold in Ukraine. This will significantly increase the efficiency of expert examinations on counterfeit detection and strengthen expert capabilities in the fight against illegal trafficking of the relevant goods. This is definitely a very difficult job that requires a lot of effort from all involved parties, as well as legislative changes," said Ruvin.
He added that the need to create such a library on the basis of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise was caused by the fact that in 2019, by the Order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Institute was designated as the main state expert institution responsible for conducting forensic examinations to establish the authenticity of tobacco products and identify the equipment on which they are manufactured.
Ruvin emphasized that in recent years the Institute has managed to significantly improve its material and technical base and expand international cooperation with our foreign partners in order to exchange experience and learn best practices of expert work.
"Currently, Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise has a full set of equipment, including a special hardware complex for determining the characteristics of tobacco and its origin, which allows us to quickly and fully investigate both tobacco products and their packaging materials. In addition, the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise is the only institution in Ukraine that conducts research on the equipment of illegal laboratories that produce drugs and tobacco products.
The experts who conduct the relevant studies of tobacco products have undergone special training, including in leading laboratories in the European Union, and have the appropriate certificates. In addition, they systematically improve their professional competence," summarized the Director of KFI.
Optional
Economist Oleh Hetman told UNN that the proposal to oblige manufacturers to submit samples of tobacco products and to entrust the formation of a single database to the Kyiv Research Institute arose within the framework of the activities of the Temporary Investigation Commission of the Verkhovna Rada.
"As part of the work of the PIC, which includes many independent experts, we considered various options to counteract gray schemes and formed about 10 proposals that could be made based on the analysis of the issues and specifics of Ukrainian schemes. And this was one of the proposals of independent think tanks.
Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise is the only institution we trust, which currently has a high reputation and is the only one that performs such examinations of high quality.
So far, we haven't looked at the concept in detail. This is an idea that is being discussed. Then we will clarify all the details together with MPs and experts from Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise, and a detailed mechanism will be developed. So far, we are trying to conceptually agree on this as an idea," Hetman said.
He added that the Rada's tax committee and its chairman, Danylo Hetmantsev, have not yet taken this proposal into account.
"I have not yet responded to this issue, but following the March 25 committee meeting on the illegal tobacco market, the committee's proposals were formed and included about 15 other proposals, including 10 proposals from our experts. So there are a lot of other useful and important things, but this proposal has not yet been included, but we are working on it," the expert said.