Pakistan: Smuggling of Cigarettes Damaging Country''s Economy

Source from:  Internaitonal News Network  04/15/2014

Korean brand PINE's illegal smuggled cigarettes damaging country economic infrastructure.

The Korean cigarette brand PINE is being smuggled into Pakistan since many years and became the single largest smuggled brand available in the country.

Despite the hue and cry of many affected parties which includes the Government of Pakistan and KT&G which produced PINE cigarettes seem to be unstoppable and this problem has become lose of billions of rupees to Government revenue in the form of lost duties and taxes.

Korea exporting "PINE" to Afghanistan in huge quantity, it is more than the Afghan market can consume.

Pakistan's porous border, weak law and order situation on western border and low per capita income present an excellent opportunity for the illegal trade of PINE cigarettes.

The Government of Pakistan has stepped up its efforts against smuggling of cigarettes but the help and support of the Government of Korea is also necessary for its elimination. Enditem