煙草在線據Emirates247報道編譯　　一名官員1月30日表示，阿聯酋和其他海灣石油生產國批準的新稅率在2012年底生效后，吸煙者將迎來卷煙價格新一輪上漲。

　　阿聯酋衛生部反吸煙行動組主管Widad Al Maidoor博士表示，作為抑制地區煙草產品消費聯合計劃的一部分，六國海灣合作委員會（GCC）的衛生部長表示支持“健康稅”。

　　“新法規旨在減少六國海灣合作委員會成員國的煙草消費，并計劃征收一項名為‘健康稅’的新稅收……這將影響到煙草產品及用以制造和加工它的設備……煙草稅將與100%的煙草產品價格相當。”

　　引用半官方日報《團結報》的報道，Maidoor表示，新法規將在海灣合作委員會財政部批準后，于2012年底實施。

　　過去幾年，隨著一系列海灣合作委員會的稅率變動及全球大部分商品的價格上漲，卷煙價格一直穩步上提。

　　銷售商們表示，即便漲價，該地區的卷煙價格仍然遠遠低于發達國家的價格。“以英國為例，一包20支裝的卷煙目前售價將近30摩洛哥迪拉姆（摩洛哥貨幣單位），是該地區價格的4倍。”阿布扎比的一名超市業主說道。

Cigarette prices set to soar after new Gulf tax

Emirates247
Jan 30, 2012

　　Smokers should brace themselves for a fresh rise in the price of cigarettes when a new tax approved by the UAE and other Gulf oil producers is enforced at the end of 2012, an official was reported on Monday as saying.

　　Health ministers from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) endorsed the "health tax" at talks in Saudi Arabia in early January as part of joint plans to curb the consumption of tobacco in the region, said Dr Widad Al Maidoor, head of the anti-smoking section at the UAE Ministry of Health.

　　"The new law is intended to reduce tobacco consumption in the GCC and envisages the imposition of a new tax called 'health tax'.…it will affect tobacco products and equipment used in its production and manufacturing…the tax will amount to 100 per cent of the product's value."

　　Quoted by the semi official daily Alittihad, Maidoor said the new law would be enforced at the end of 2012 after it is approved by the GCC finance ministers.

　　Cigarette prices have steadily increased over the past years following a series of GCC taxes and a surge in global prices of most consumer items.

　　Dealers said that despite the rise, cigarette prices in the region remain far below those in advanced countries. "In Britain for example, a 20-cigarette pack now sells for nearly Dh30, more than four times the prices here," said an owner of a supermarket in Abu Dhabi.