Kazakhstan extends ban on alcohol sales after daylight

Strong and light alcoholic beverages in Kazakhstan are now sold at different times of day, Tengrinews reports citing the press service of the Tax Committee of the Ministry of Finance.

The ban on sale of strong alcoholic beverages has been extended by a couple of hours. It is now in effect from 9 p.m. till noon. But the extension applies only to alcoholic beverages with alcohol content of over 30 percent. These include vodka, strong liquor, cognac and whisky.

Beverages with ethanol content below 30 percent are not sold from 11 p.m. to 8 a.m. The ban applies even to beverages with ethanol content as small as 1.5 percent. These are mixtures of spirited juices, alcoholic fruit-drinks, infusions and aromatic alcohols, wines and wine base products and beers.

According to the head of the excise administration department of the Tax Committee Yermek Sheryazdanov, these restrictions do not apply to restaurants, bars and cafes. The law is for shops, gas stations and other retail stores. Sale of alcohol via Internet stores (at any time of day) is also prohibited. 

The new rules came into effect on July 13, 2014.

Reporting by Assel Satayeva, writing by Dinara Urazova, editing by Tatyana Kuzmina