Proposed tobacco tax cut unlikely to curb illicit trade — AER - BusinessWorld Online

Proposed tobacco tax cut unlikely to curb illicit trade — AER - BusinessWorld Online

THE ACTION for Economic Reforms (AER) and government officials are opposing bills that seek to cut tobacco excise taxes, arguing that such measures are unlikely to curb illicit trade without stronger enforcement and a nationwide licensing system. “We’re against the rolling back of tobacco taxes because according to our projections, it will lead to at least two million new smokers by 2035, and at least P167 billion worth of foregone revenues,” AE…

GenSan, Zamboanga lead cigarette smuggling in PH

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 12 Nov) — The cities of Zamboanga and General Santos registered the highest levels of illicit cigarette trade in the Philippines, attributed to the weak enforcement of security at the maritime borders and longstanding maritime trade relations with Malaysia and Indonesia, according to a study released on Tuesday. Daffodil Santillan, lead researcher, presents results of the illicit cigarette trade via Zoom on Tuesday (12 No…

AER: LOWERING TOBACCO TAXES WILL REWARD SMUGGLERS

A new nationwide study by Action for Economic Reforms (AER) and Economics for Health of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health shows that illicit tobacco trade in the Philippines is being fueled by weak enforcement and governance gaps, not by high tobacco taxes as the tobacco industry has long claimed. The research was based on surveys of more than 1,000 sari-sari stores and an audit of over 7,500 cigarette packs in eight key cities…