煙草在線據法新社報道編譯　　菲律賓12月20日根據總統貝尼尼奧·阿基諾支持的改革方案提高了煙酒稅，以幫助“更多的菲律賓人從吸煙和喝酒的惡習中”解放出來。

　　自己就是吸煙者的阿基諾表示，“罪惡稅”法案是對強大的煙草游說團體的一次勝利，并將為更好的衛生保健和設施提供額外資金。

　　“敵人是強大的、聒噪的、有組織的，而且財力雄厚……但正如我經常所說的，沒有任何事情能夠阻止向正確方向邁進的菲律賓人，”總統在簽署儀式上的發言中說道。

　　阿基諾的發言人拉蒙·卡蘭丹稱，罪惡稅在2013年將增加330億比索（8億美元）的收入，以后幾年將逐步提高。為避免煙酒征稅逐漸被通脹所抵消，政府將從2016年開始每年把蒸餾酒稅提高4%。從2018年開始，卷煙和啤酒稅將每年增長4%。

　　阿基諾稱，政府曾在1997年首次請求國會提高“罪惡”產品如卷煙和酒精飲料的消費稅，但這些消費稅直到2004年才在煙草游說團體的強烈反對中通過。

　　游說團體包括代表煙草種植區的國會議員，以及享有東南亞最低煙草稅率之一的強大的卷煙公司。

　　政府表示，菲律賓是該地區吸煙率最高的國家，煙草相關疾病去年花費了該國1770億比索（43億美元）的資金。

　　阿基諾向該國的煙農保證他們不會受到更高煙稅的傷害，但未作詳細說明。

　　對于政府籌集到阿基諾在12月19日簽署成為法律的2.005萬億比索的2013年預算案所需的收入，提高罪惡稅被認為是至關重要的。對阿基諾來說，這是在通過有爭議的生育控制法案后國會的第二次主要的勝利，該控制法案因占主導地位的天主教的反對而被推遲了10多年。該法案不久后將由阿基諾簽署。

評論：

　　為減少菲律賓民眾對煙酒產品的消費量，菲律賓總統阿基諾支持罪惡稅改革方案，通過增稅來大幅提高煙酒價格，政府預計財政稅收也將逐步提高。這項有爭議的法案曾被擱置多年，但反煙團體最終獲勝，而煙草業則面臨著行業收縮的挑戰，對于普遍收入都不太高的菲律賓人來說，提稅方案或許有些過于激進，而這一法案能否達到降低吸煙率和增加稅收的預期效果，還有待時間的檢驗。

Philippines Raises Tobacco, Alcohol Taxes

　　The Philippines Thursday raised tobacco and alcohol taxes in a reform President Benigno Aquino hailed as helping to liberate "more Filipinos from the vices of smoking and drinking".

　　Aquino, a smoker himself, said the "sin tax" law was a victory against the powerful tobacco lobby and would provide extra funds for better health care and facilities.

　　"The enemy was strong, noisy, organised and had deep pockets... but as I have always said, there is nothing that can stop Filipinos who are marching in the right direction," the president said in a speech at the signing ceremony.

　　Aquino spokesman Ramon Carandang said the sin taxes would raise 33 billion pesos ($800 million) in 2013, rising gradually over the succeeding years.

　　Aquino said the government had first asked parliament to raise excise taxes on "sin" products such as cigarettes and alcoholic beverages in 1997, but these were only passed in 2004 amid strong opposition by the tobacco lobby.

　　The lobby included members of parliament representing tobacco-growing regions as well as powerful cigarette companies that enjoyed one of the lowest tobacco taxes in Southeast Asia.

　　The government says the Philippines has the highest incidence of smoking in the region, with tobacco-related diseases costing the country 177 billion pesos ($4.3 billion) last year.

　　Aquino assured the country's tobacco farmers that they would not be hurt by the higher taxes, but did not elaborate.

　　The tax hikes were considered crucial for the government to meet the revenues necessary under the 2.005 trillion-peso budget for 2013 that Aquino signed into law on Wednesday. It was a second major parliamentary victory for Aquino after getting a controversial birth control act passed after it had been delayed for more than a decade due to opposition from the dominant Catholic church. The act is due to be signed by Aquino soon. Enditem