Russia: Anti-tobacco Bill to be Considered in December

Source from:  Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI) (ru)  10/17/2012

The first reading of the anti-tobacco bill in the State Duma will be held in December, says First Deputy Chairman of the Health Committee of the State Duma Nikolai Gerasimenko.

However, Gerasimenko believes that the adoption of the anti-tobacco law will be insufficient. The MP believes that the law will face the strongest opposition when amendments to other laws will come to be made.
 
Gerasimenko said that excise duties are the primary measure to reduce tobacco consumption, stating that the government had already submitted and set excise rates until 2015.
 
He continued by saying that if Russia wants to reach the level of Eastern Europe, the price for cigarettes by 2015 should reach 100 rubles ($3). However, the government has decided that in 2013 excise rates will grow by 45 percent, then by another 45 percent in 2014 and by 20 percent in 2015.
 
"So this means that excite duties will roughly double," Gerasimenko said.
 
The current tax on cigarettes amounts to 7.8 rubles ($0.24), and by 2015 it will reach 16 rubles ($0.5).
 
"Therefore we will not get any closer to Eastern European cigarette prices," Gerasimenko said. Enditem