Cigarette Prices Increase

Source from:  www.trinidadexpress.com 02/18/2009

Cigarettes will burn a bigger hole in smokers' pockets from today. Champs Fleurs-based producer the West Indian Tobacco Company Ltd yesterday announced price increases across several cigarette brands. From this morning, the prices of Dunhill, du Maurier, Pall Mall and Broadway will retail at higher prices. Full packs of Dunhill will now cost $17 while a half-pack of tens will see consumers coughing up $9. Those looking to light up a du Maurier will now need to add a dollar to the cost as the retail price shifts to $15 for a full pack and $8 for a half pack. Pall Mall smokers will also see full packs raised to $15 while those flicking their lighters to Broadway cigarettes will see the cost of full packs raised to $14 and half packs at $8. The increase come less than year since the last price hike in July, 2008. Witco executive Jean-Pierre Du Coudray said then the increase was caused by three factors: an increase in the price of raw materials, especially imported tobacco leaf and the rising cost of oil on wrapping material; rising global costs of transport, freight and insurance; and the impact of inflation on workers' salaries. Smokers are also expected to pay even higher prices at bars and sidewalk vendors who routinely sell the items at a cost higher than that of the retail price suggested by Witco. Enditem