5,000 bottles of spirits seized in a month

Over 5,000 bottles of spirits were seized by Customs last month, the Parliamentary Secretary at the Finance Ministry, Tonio Fenech, said yesterday.

Forty-eight inspections were carried out by Customs personnel during this period.

Mr Fenech, who was addressing a news conference on recent Customs seizures related to alcohol, explained that the Excise Duty Act regulated the excise duty paid on alcoholic beverages.

Following an announcement in the 2006 budget, no person may manufacture, process, prepare for sale, expose or offer for sale, sell or otherwise dispose of any ethyl alcohol with an actual alcoholic strength by volume of 25 per cent or more, and in containers of 50 centilitres capacity or above, unless a band or stamp has been affixed to the bottles.

However, Mr Fenech said that the Comptroller of Customs may exempt any other alcohol where reasonable amounts are imported for personal use, and this includes private parties or frequent travel.

Under such conditions, the individuals should inform the Comptroller of Customs upon importation and should then affix a band or stamp identifying the bottles as being for personal use.

No duty is payable on alcohol imported for personal consumption within the EU as long as excise duty has been paid in the relevant member state.

To establish whether the products are intended for commercial purposes or for personal use, member states take account of a number of factors as guidance.