Finance Ministry to boost excise tax income thanks to array of proposed hikes

The Finance Ministry is expecting to obtain 15.9% more in excise tax revenues next year than in 2000. The multitude of proposed excise hikes is supposed to yield a total of zl.2.2 billion. The Ministry is raising excise on cigarettes by 20% in January, which will result in a 9.5% retail price increase. Excise on vodka will rise at the rate of 4.3% in February, whereas the beer and wine excise will rise three times during the year, making a total increase of over 20%. Excise on fuels will rise in January and June, at the rate of 7.1% and 6%, respectively. This will cause a price increase of nearly zl.0.17 per liter. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B2) M.K.