煙草在線據《馬尼拉公報》報道編譯　　菲律賓稅務局駁回了陳永栽控制的菲莫福川煙草公司提出的將其萬寶路品牌從高級類卷煙重新歸類為低級卷煙的請求。

　　菲律賓稅務局一名因事屬“機密”而拒絕表明身份的消息人士說，稅務局拒絕將萬寶路原味、金萬寶路淡味、萬寶路薄荷和黑萬寶路薄荷卷煙注冊為低價類煙草。

　　菲律賓稅務局局長Kim S. Jacinto-Heneres在被請求對此事給予證實的時候說，她會讓菲莫福川煙草公司做出關于其注冊請求結果的必要通告。

　　但Jacinto-Heneres說，她曾經向菲莫福川煙草公司告知過“關于卷煙統一稅率的美好前景——高等級卷煙品牌與低等級卷煙品牌之間沒有什么差別，每種煙都按相同的稅率納稅。”

　　Jacinto-Heneres還透露，菲莫福川煙草公司在國會審議《10351號共和法案》或2012年的《罪惡稅改革法案》期間，反對政府提出執行統一稅率制的提案。

　　菲律賓稅務局局長說：“現在他們開始抱怨低價位卷煙吞食他們的市場份額了？如果他們從一開始就不強烈反對我們提出的統一稅制的提案的話，這種情況本來是不會發生的。”

　　根據新的消費稅法，菲律賓稅務局被要求從2013年至2016年，采取兩級制消費稅率——即低價類卷煙和高價類卷煙——對卷煙征稅，最終到2017年的時候，實行每包30比索的單一稅率。

　　在早些時候，富商陳永栽和美國煙草巨頭菲莫國際公司組成的合資企業菲莫福川煙草公司請求菲律賓稅務局對其萬寶路品牌的四個名優品類重新分類，將它們從高價產品歸類為低價產品。

　　菲莫福川煙草公司總裁保羅·賴利說，由于煙草銷售因消費者轉向更便宜的品牌和非法進口的卷煙而不斷下滑，公司希望將萬寶路重新歸類于較低價位產品類別。

　　賴利說，菲莫福川煙草公司今年的產量已經從2012年的920億支減少至680億支。而且預計明年的產量還會進一步減少至480億支。

　　如果獲得批準，較便宜的萬寶路卷煙將會與菲莫福川煙草公司自有的低價品牌冠軍、財富和Jackpot進行競爭，這些品牌原先歸福川煙草公司所有。

Philippines: BIR Rejects PMFTC's Reclassification Request

　　The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has rejected the request of Lucio Tan's group PMFTC Inc. to reclassify its Marlboro brands from high tier to low tier category.

　　A BIR source, who declined to be identified because the matter is "confidential," said the tax authorities denied the registration of Marlboro Original, Marlboro Gold Lights, Marlboro Menthol, and Marlboro Black Menthol to low price category.

　　When sought for confirmation, BIR Commissioner Kim S. Jacinto-Heneres said she will let PMFTC to make the necessary announcement regarding the result of its request for registration.

　　But Jacinto-Henares said she had told PMFTC about "the beauty of a unitary tax rate system on cigarettes - there's no distinction between high and low tier brands - everyone pays the same excise tax rate."

　　Jacinto-Henares also disclosed PMFTC had opposed the government's proposal for a unitary excise tax rate system during the deliberation of Republic Act 10351 or the Sin Tax Reform Act of 2012 in Congress.

　　"Now they started complaining about low-priced cigarettes eating up their market share? This could have been prevented if they did not strongly oppose our unitary proposal from the start," the BIR chief said.

　　Under the new excise tax law, the BIR is required to adopt two-tiered excise tax rates - low and high segments - on cigarettes from 2013 to 2016 and eventually a single rate of P30 per pack by 2017.

　　PMFTC, the joint venture between taipan Lucio Tan and American tobacco giant Philip Morris International, earlier requested the BIR to reclassify its four premium Marlboro brand variants from high to low tier.

　　Paul Riley, PMFTC president said the company wants Marlboro to be reclassified to a much lower tier due to declining sales as consumers turn to cheaper brands and illegally imported cigarettes.

　　Riley said PMFTC's production volume has declined to 68 billion sticks this year from 92 billion in 2012. Production volume is expected to further decrease next year to 48 billion.

　　If approved, cheaper Marlboro cigarettes will compete with PMFTC's own low-priced brands Champion, Fortune and Jackpot, which were previously owned by Fortune Tobacco Corporation. Enditem