The expert warned against extremes in regulating the tobacco market in the regions.

The introduction of licensing of trade in tobacco products and nicotine—containing products is a reasonable and timely step, but in its implementation it is important to avoid extremes that can lead to undesirable consequences. This was stated to Izvestia on August 13 by Rufat Abyasov, an independent investment adviser and expert in the field of digital economy.

According to the expert, licensing can increase market transparency and increase tax revenues, but at the same time, overly stringent requirements (for example, high licensing fees) or mandatory area regulations can create an excessive burden on small businesses, especially in the regions. This may provoke a decrease in the number of legal players, pushing some entrepreneurs into the shadows, he noted.

"The issue of regulation of vapes and electronic cigarettes deserves special attention. It is important to take into account not only the control of turnover, but also the economic consequences. Calculations show that a complete ban on this category of goods could deprive the budget of about 100 billion rubles in annual revenue, a significant amount, especially against the background of planned tax changes and the need to fill the treasury," he stressed.

Additional problems that radical prohibitive measures may lead to include the growth of the illegal market and a decrease in economic activity in related sectors (logistics, retail, advertising). The consequence of this may be an increase in social tension, especially in single-industry towns and regions with a limited number of alternative sources of income, the expert believes.

According to Abyasov, for the licensing system to work effectively, a number of factors will need to be taken into account: flexibility (differentiated requirements for large networks and small businesses), non-discrimination (without excessive bans on certain categories of goods, for example, vapes), reinforcement with incentives (for example, reduced rates for entrepreneurs who are ready to completely step out of the "shadow").

Alexey Sazanov, State Secretary and Deputy Finance Minister of the Russian Federation, announced on July 30 that the Ministry of Finance had prepared amendments to the legislation on licensing trade in tobacco and nicotine-containing products. Licenses will be issued for wholesale, retail and delivery trade on the principle of "one retail facility or one vehicle — one license."

It is expected that the licensing procedure will take place in stages. The licenses themselves will be issued from March 1 to September 1, 2026. After this period, it will be prohibited to sell tobacco and nicotine-containing products without a license. At the same time, from September 1, 2026 to September 1, 2027, a special transition period will be in effect, necessary to bring retail outlets in line with the new requirements.

Trade in tobacco and nicotine-containing products without a license will be punished both administratively and criminally. Rosalokoltabakcontrol will be responsible for issuing and canceling licenses for wholesale trade, and retail representatives will need to contact the authorized bodies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation.