煙草在線據越南新聞通訊社報道編譯　　運入越南的大量走私卷煙使政府收入蒙受巨大損失。

　　2010年，該國共消費走私卷煙大約8.7億包，占卷煙銷售總量的22.9%，但去年下降至7.5億包，所占百分比下降至18.2%。

　　去年，走私卷煙造成的稅收損失共計3.4至3.6萬億越南盾（1.634億至1.73億美元）。

　　最受歡迎的走私卷煙品牌為JET和英雄（Hero），并且，來自韓國的淡味煙品牌愛喜（ESSE）自2010年年底也開始流行。它是通過北部邊境的廣寧和諒山省走私進入越南。

　　然而大部分走私卷煙則是通過西南邊境省份偷運入境。

　　相關機構估計，走私行為將導致國內煙草業18,000噸原材料的銷售損失及5萬多人失業。

　　這也意味著每年流失4億美元的外匯收入，并成為國內同行業發展的一個主要障礙。

　　越南煙草協會秘書長Pham Kien Nghiep表示，走私集中在西南地區，因為該國與柬埔寨、老撾接壤，邊境線較長，從這些國家走私，運輸方便。

　　他說，當地許多人因貧困而經受不住非法貿易的誘惑。

　　因為柬埔寨和老撾對煙草產品實行低稅收，價格低廉，將其走私到越南有利可圖，他說。

　　因此，一旦JET牌卷煙被走私到越南，一包就能獲利6,000至7,000越南盾。

　　市場管理重點戰線拉得太長，無法應對走私，此外各種機構之間就幾乎沒有協調。

　　至于走私者，他們利用逐漸成熟的方法，使得走私產品很難被探測到。

Vietnam: Tobacco Smuggling Leaves Tax Take Short

　　The massive volumes of cigarettes smuggled into the country are proving to be a big drain on the Government's revenues.

　　It was around 870 million packs in 2010, or 22.9 per cent of all cigarette consumption in the country, but fell to 750 million packs and 18.2 per cent last year.

　　Last year, it translated into lost taxes of VND3.4 - 3.6 trillion (US$163.4-173 million).

　　The favourite contraband brands used to be JET and HERO though ESSE Lights from South Korea has also become popular since the end of 2010. It is smuggled in through the northern border provinces of Quang Ninh and Lang Son.

　　Most of the smuggling otherwise occurs through southwestern border provinces.

　　Authorities estimate that the domestic tobacco industry loses sales of 18,000 tonnes of raw materials due to the smuggling and more than 50,000 jobs.

　　It also means an annual drain of $400 million in foreign currency and a major hurdle to the development of the domestic industry.

　　Pham Kien Nghiep, general secretary of the Viet Nam Tobacco Association, said the smuggling was focused on the southwestern region because of the long borders with Cambodia and Laos and the ease of transport from those countries.

　　Many local people were tempted into the illegal trade due to poverty, he said.

　　With Cambodia and Laos imposing low taxes on tobacco, prices there were low, and smuggling into Viet Nam was lucrative, he said.

　　Thus, a pack of JET fetches a profit of VND6,000-7,000 once it is smuggled into the country.

　　Market management forces stretched too thin to be able to cope with the smuggling besides which there is little co-ordination between various agencies.

　　As for the smugglers, they are using increasingly sophisticated methods, making it hard to detect them. Enditem