煙草在線據InterAksyon報道編譯　　菲律賓煙草壟斷企業在6月14日稱，一旦政府支持的煙酒稅改革提案成為法律后，該公司的銷售將下降超過四分之一。

　　菲莫福川煙草公司的克里斯·尼爾森（Chris Nelson）在提及眾議院第5727號法案時說，“在最好的情況下，整個市場在此修訂案后的銷售將下降至少26%。”

　　煙草行業每年銷售1000億支香煙，菲莫福川煙草公司則壟斷了煙草市場銷售的90%。

　　尼爾森稱，然而煙草行業的預期下降并不意味著卷煙的消費量也會相應下降。

　　他在一次午宴簡報會上向記者透露，“完稅市場可能下降，但是下降的部分將被非法市場的假煙或走私煙所抵消，這對任何人無論是政府還是合法的煙草行業都無益。”

　　尼爾森說，“這沒有考慮如果你要擁有大量的走私煙或假煙，價格甚至可能會更高的情況。所以，對煙草行業的影響可能更嚴重。”他補充說該行業直接或間接地雇傭了290萬人。

　　他說眾議院第5727號法案是不平衡的，支持酒業，而煙草生產商將承擔煙酒稅改革措施預期增長稅收收入330億比索的85%。

　　提及眾議員在本月初以201支持票和21反對票通過了5727號法案時，尼爾森說，“如果他們能夠對酒業進行調整，為什么他們不能對煙草行業也做出一些支持性的調整呢？”

　　尼爾森稱原本是三層稅率結構中最低的煙草稅率在未來兩年內將會飆升700%，而對于鄰近的兩層稅率將會分別猛漲300%和150%。

　　尼爾森說這比酒類產品8%到32%的稅率增長幅度還要高。他補充道：“差距太大了，我們認為有必要重新審視。”

Tobacco monopoly expects 26% drop in sales under sin tax reform

14 Jun 2012
InterAksyon

　　MANILA – The Philippines' tobacco monopoly on Thursday said sales would drop by over a fourth once the government-backed sin tax reform bill becomes law.

　　"In the best case scenario, the total market under this revised bill will go down by at least 26 percent," Chris Nelson, Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corp. said, referring to House Bill 5727.

　　The industry sells 100 billion cigarette sticks a year, with PMFTC cornering 90 percent of the market.

　　Nelson said the expected drop in industry sales however won't mean consumption would likewise decline.

　　"The tax-paid market may go down, but it will be offset by the illicit market, or counterfeiting and smuggling, which benefits absolutely no one, not the government nor the legitimate industry," he told reporters during a luncheon briefing.

　　"That does not account for the fact if you get significant smuggling and counterfeiting, so it could even be higher. Thus, the impact on the tobacco industry could be much worse," Nelson said, adding that the industry employs 2.9 million people directly and indirectly.

　　He said HB 5727 is lopsided in favor of the liquor sector since tobacco producers would shoulder 85 percent of the P33 billion in additional tax revenues expected from the sin tax reform measure.

　　"If they can adjust for alcohol, why can't they make some favorable adjustments for the tobacco industry as well," Nelson said, referring to members of the House who early this month approved HB 5727, with 201 in favor and 21 against the bill.

　　Nelson said the tax rate for tobacco under the lowest of three tiers will surge by 700 percent in two years, while those for the next two tiers would jump by 300 percent and 150 percent, respectively.

　　Nelson said this is higher than the eight to 32 percent increase in the tax rates of alcohol products. "The difference is enormous which we feel needs to be looked at," he added.