Substantially reducing tobacco consumption in Russia excise tax should be up to 40-48 rubles per pack

The State Duma in the third reading supported the amendments to the Tax Code. Under the bill a specific rate of excise on filtered cigarettes will rise by 30%, and on non-filter cigarettes will increase by 50% of all.

It is expected that this will increase government revenue in 2010 to 15 billion rubles. This is an increase in excise coincides with the interests of the largest tobacco companies. After all, they are interested in to keep the price of cigarettes available to the mass buyer. The increase in excise rates on the above interest rates increase the cost of a pack of cigarettes by only 1.5 rubles. The situation with smoking and remain the same. Cheap cigarettes provoke children's smoking, according to which Russia is already the leader among other countries. We should recognize that economic and other losses from the deterioration of the nation's health and reduce life expectancy and then have nothing to fill the impossible.

Chairman of the Board of the International Confederation of Consumer Societies Dmitry Yanin reported that an increase in excise tax rates, which have recently been adopted by the State Duma, has no effect on anti-smoking and increase revenues. Although these objectives have been clearly identified leadership. Raising excise taxes would be fruitful only when it will increase to 10-15 times over the next three years. The current excise more than 10 times lower than the excise tax in the poorest countries of the European Union, although the standard of living there is comparable with Russia.

Janine D. says: for a clear reduction of smoking cigarettes, the excise tax should be raised to 40-48 rubles per pack. If such a tax increase will occur over the next three years, tobacco use in society will fall well perceptible rate: 10-15% per year. In addition, over three years the cost of a pack of cigarettes would gradually come to European prices.

High rates of excise guarantee admission to the budget more than an additional 100 billion rubles in 2010, even with the falling demand for tobacco products. By 2012, this amount could reach 320 billion rubles a year.