Poland: Government to Raise Taxes on Tobacco Products

Source from:  Polskie Radio  09/21/2012

The Ministry of Finance has announced that excise duties on tobacco products are due to rise by 5 percent on 1 January. Sales of cigarettes will provide the main boost in revenue for the Treasury concerning with the current plans. "The increase in excise duty on cigarettes planned from January 1, 2013 will bring an income to next year's budget of over 345 million zloty (82.9 million euro)," the ministry declared in a statement released on Wednesday. The statement forecast a further 14 million z? (3.3 million euro) in revenue from other tobacco products. The average retail price of a packet of twenty cigarettes is set to rise by 0.6 zloty (0.14 euro), according to the ministry. However, the statement acknowledged that final prices are in the hands of individual retailers and producers, and as result, the effects of the tax hike "cannot be accurately estimated." At present, visitors to Poland will find that they are obliged to pay about 11.50 zl (2.7 euro) for a pack of twenty cigarettes. (nh) Enditem