Finance minister proposes measures to help lift ban

Prague, Sept 19 (CTK) - Czech Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek (TOP 09) will submit to the government yesterday a proposal introducing new stamps to allow the sales of hard liquor produced or imported after the methanol scandal broke out in the country, his deputy Ladislav Mincic has said.

Mincic told the Chamber of Deputies' health committee yesterday that the re-marking could take "some 20 days."

The sales of drinks with more than 20 percent of alcohol have been banned in the country since Friday evening.

The ban was ordered by Health Minister Leos Heger (TOP 09) in reaction to the growing number of methanol-related deaths and poisonings.

To date, more than 20 people have demonstrably died of methyl alcohol and tens of others are in hospital.

The police have arrested more than 20 people suspected of producing and distributing lethal drinks.

Mincic said the 20-day deadline includes the issuing of the respective decree, the printing of the stamps in the state printing works, their distribution to the producers and importers, re-marking and taking the new goods to shops.

Agriculture Minister Petr Bendl (Civic Democrats, ODS) said he will propose to the government instructions for returning alcohol to shops and restaurants.

He will also propose ways of handling the bottles that have ended up in storage facilities after the "prohibition" was introduced.

The Health Ministry says there are some 20 million of them.

"New stamps alone are no solution. The re-stamping should be done with the application of new rules," Bendl told the health committee.

He said the drinks should have a "birth certificate," that is a document on their origin. This would make it possible to find out where the drink was made and from what. Further steps are also being proposed, Bendl said.