Domestic tobacco industry fears cigarette excise tax equalization as harmful

Cigarette manufacturers from seven companies submitted a protest letter to the Ministry. "Such action could result in equalization of prices for domestic and foreign brands [of cigarettes] and a drop in the sale of domestic products," stated the authors of the letter. Tobacco firm Reemtsmy president Krzysztof Wagrodzki noted, "Equalization of the excise tax is favorable to Reynolds, Rothmans and Philip Morris." Currently the excise on domestic king size cigarettes is zl. 65.5 per 1,000 units and zl. 76.5 per 1,000 units for foreign brands. The value of the equal tax is not known yet. (Gazeta Wyborcza, page 24)