Kyrgyz President Japarov Orders Cabinet to Study a Full Ban on Energy Drink Production and Imports, Putting Health Before About 1.5 Billion Soms in Taxes
BISHKEK — Kyrgyzstan's President Sadyr Japarov on November 5 instructed his Cabinet of Ministers to examine a complete ban on the production and import of energy drinks, giving the government one month to assess the proposal and six months to introduce regulatory measures.
Japarov announced the directive on social media, citing doctors' warnings that consumption is rising sharply and that the state is spending more to treat illnesses he attributed to the drinks. Official figures put consumption at more than 36 million liters in the first half of 2026 alone, about two-thirds of the 54 million liters consumed in all of 2025. He said protecting the nation's health and human capital should take priority over the industry's economic benefits.
The industry currently brings Kyrgyzstan significant tax and customs revenue: about 1.104 billion soms in 2025 and 996.7 million soms in the first half of 2026. Japarov said preliminary estimates suggest a ban on production and imports could reduce that revenue by about 1.5 billion soms (about $17.2 million) a year, a loss the government is prepared to accept.
Separately, a bill drafted by lawmaker Erulan Kokulov was put out for public comment on November 5; it would ban sales of nonalcoholic energy drinks to anyone under 18, covering stores, food outlets, online sales and deliveries. In March 2026, the Health Ministry proposed raising the excise tax on energy drinks from 6 soms to 20 soms per liter, citing their high sugar and caffeine content and the health risks for teenagers.
(Source: Kabar News Agency)
Source: Kabar News Agency
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：吉尔吉斯斯坦总统扎帕罗夫。Federation Council 摄，CC BY 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, by the Federation Council, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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