The purpose of this document is to establish and improve legal norms related to the halal industry.
The initiative was presented by the Cabinet of Ministers, and Deputy Minister of Economy Sultan Akhmatov acquainted the deputies with the main provisions of the draft law.
According to Akhmatov, the halal industry in Kyrgyzstan is showing active growth: the number of companies is increasing, and consumer interest is rising, which requires stricter state control and protection of consumer rights.
Currently, the republic has the Law "On the Halal Industry in the Kyrgyz Republic," which establishes liability for violations. However, the Code on Offenses does not include specific articles that define penalties for non-compliance with these norms.
In this regard, the draft law proposes to supplement the Code with a new Article 385, which will define liability for violation or non-fulfillment of the norms of legislation on the halal industry. In particular, the draft specifies the following fines:
- 75 calculated indicators (7,500 soms) for individuals for the release of halal products and services without supporting documents and 230 calculated indicators (23,000 soms) for legal entities;
- 130 calculated indicators (13,000 soms) for legal entities for violations of the procedures for confirming compliance and issuing halal certificates without the necessary checks.
The proposed fine amounts are similar to the sanctions provided in the field of technical regulation by current legislation.
In addition, the draft law amends Article 465 of the Code, expanding the powers of the authorized body in the field of health care. In particular, it is proposed to transfer the consideration of cases related to the new article to the competence of the Department of Disease Prevention and State Sanitary and Epidemiological Surveillance of the Ministry of Health, which is already responsible for ensuring compliance with the requirements of the technical regulations of the EAEU regarding food products.
The explanatory note to the draft law also takes into account international experience. It is noted that in countries such as Turkey, Malaysia, and Indonesia, violations of halal certification can lead to serious fines and even criminal liability, including punishment for false labeling and forgery of certificates.
The Ministry of Economy emphasizes that the adoption of this draft law will not lead to additional expenses from the republican budget and will not create negative social, economic, or corruption-related consequences.
