煙草在線據《澳大利亞人》報道編譯　　據報道，由于澳大利亞政府和反對黨都在考慮放棄稅收優惠的提案，進入澳大利亞的游客允許攜帶免稅卷煙的情況受到了威脅。

　　《亨利稅務審核》提議，抵達機場和其他入關點的人應該只被獲準攜帶一包免稅卷煙。

　　不過，澳大利亞政府拒絕把這項措施列入它對稅務審核的最初回應當中。

　　七網絡公司（Seven Network）的一份報告說，澳大利亞政府和執政聯盟現在考慮放棄使預算每年損失大約2.7億美元的稅收優惠。

　　在主要機場的免稅商店，一箱10包25支裝的金邊臣卷煙售價為79.99美元，相比之下，通常的零售價格大約為160美元。

　　游客獲準帶入250支免稅卷煙，或250克雪茄或煙草產品。

　　2月13日晚，Wayne Swan和Joe Hockey都沒有發表評論，但報道說，由于執政聯盟熱衷于顯示自己沒有受恩于“大煙草公司”，Hockey先生的儲蓄工作組已經請執政聯盟的衛生發言人Peter Dutton對這項措施提出建議。

　　財政部的發言人說，政府不會對預算的推測發表評論。

　　在提交的預算中要求廢除稅收優惠的心臟基金會也對該報道表示歡迎。

　　心臟基金會的臨床問題主任Robert Grenfell說：“停止銷售免稅卷煙將有助于減少吸煙每年在澳大利亞造成的大量死亡，并終止實際上是政府給予煙草業的補貼的稅收優惠。如果你吸煙，你心臟病發作的可能性至少增加兩倍，而中風的可能性要增加三倍，因此心臟基金會對任何首先阻止人們沾染吸煙習慣，或幫助吸煙者戒煙的措施都表示歡迎。”

　　Grenfell博士說：“沒有合理的理由繼續銷售免稅卷煙——免稅卷煙不僅使政府每年損失大約2億美元的收入，而且還破壞其他煙草控制措施。”

　　亨利的報告指出，吸煙在低收入和社會地位低下的人群當中更為普遍。接受9年級教育的人有23%吸煙，相比之下，接受大學教育的人僅有11%吸煙。自2010年以來，澳大利亞政府加強了對吸煙的控制。澳大利亞總理凱文·路德宣布，在2010年預算前將煙草消費稅提高25%。這是一項預計將會使政府財政在4年時間內增加50億美元的舉措。

　　與此同時，他宣布了實行卷煙平裝的舉措。而正是這項舉措，使得澳大利亞政府被菲莫、英美煙草公司、帝國煙草公司和日本煙草國際公司在高等法院和國際論壇提出了訴訟。

　　勞動黨也限制互聯網煙草廣告，防止零售商在網上促銷便宜或免稅卷煙。

　　新加坡是唯一一個不提供煙草免稅補貼的重要目的地，而香港則只允許提供一包卷煙的免稅補貼。

Agreement tipped on duty-free tobacco cuts

The Australian
Feb 14, 2012

　　THE duty-free status of cigarettes for travellers coming into the country is under threat, with both government and opposition reported to be considering proposals to abandon the tax concession.

　　The Henry Tax Review recommended that people arriving at airports and other points of entry be allowed to bring in only a single packet of cigarettes free of duty.

　　However, the government declined to include the measure in its initial response to the review.

　　A report by the Seven Network says the government and the Coalition are now considering abandoning the concession, which costs the budget about $270 million a year.

　　A carton of 10 packets of 25 Benson & Hedges costs $79.99 at duty-free stores at major airports, compared with a normal retail price of about $160.

　　Travellers are allowed to bring in 250 cigarettes duty free, or 250g of cigars or tobacco products.

　　Neither Wayne Swan nor Joe Hockey would comment last night, but the report said Mr Hockey's savings taskforce had asked Coalition health spokesman Peter Dutton to make a recommendation on the measure, with the Coalition keen to show it is not beholden to "big tobacco".

　　A spokesman for the Treasurer said the government would not comment on budget speculation.

　　The Heart Foundation, which called for the concession to be abolished in its budget submission, last night welcomed the report.

　　"Stopping duty-free cigarette sales would help to cut the huge death toll caused by smoking in Australia every year, and put an end to what is in effect a government subsidy for the tobacco industry," said Robert Grenfell, clinical issues director at the Heart Foundation. "If you smoke, you are at least twice as likely to have a heart attack and three times as likely to have a stroke, so the Heart Foundation welcomes any measure that stops people taking up the habit in the first place or helps smokers to quit.

　　"There is no rational reason to continue the sale of duty-free cigarettes -- not only does it cost the government about $200m a year in lost revenue, it undermines their other tobacco control efforts," Dr Grenfell said.

　　The Henry report noted that smoking was more prevalent among low-income and disadvantaged people. Twenty-three per cent of people with education to Year 9 smoke, compared with just 11 per cent of people with university education. The government has stepped up its war on smoking since 2010. Then prime minister Kevin Rudd announced a 25 per cent hike in tobacco excise ahead of the 2010 budget, a move that is expected to swell government coffers by a handy $5 billion over four years.

　　At the same time, he announced the move to tobacco plain packaging, which has led to the government being challenged by cigarette giants Philip Morris, British American Tobacco, Imperial Tobacco and Japan Tobacco International in the High Court and international forums.

　　Labor has also moved to restrict internet tobacco advertising, preventing retailers from promoting cheap or tax-free cigarettes online.

　　Singapore is the only major destination that provides no duty-free allowance for tobacco, while Hong Kong allows only one packet.