DUSHANBE, March 12, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Tax officers have revealed instances of serious violation of the country’s tax code at a number of alcohol drink enterprises in Sughd province.

The source at the Tax Committee says inspections by tax officers have revealed excise evasion cases at the limited liability companies Sayhun, Shohin (phonetically spelled), Sharob, Sirdaryo, MMK, Parviz, Somgar and Turk-Tojik.

“Most of these enterprises showed documents that they have allegedly not been in operation due to natural-gas and electricity shortages, while a large amount of unregistered product has been confiscated from them,” the source said, adding that the enterprises were fined and the unregistered product was destroyed.

We will recall that the last 24th session of the outgoing Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan’s upper chamber of parliament) that took place in Dushanbe on March 4 seconded amendments to Tajikistan’s Penal Code criminalizing nonpayment of taxes in large and especially large scales.  For nonpayment of taxes in large scales (350,000 somoni) and especially large scales (700,000 somoni) tax defaulters will have to pay a penalty fee in an amount of 24,500 somoni and heads of legal entities will be punishable by two years in correctional labor.