煙草在線據《韓國時報》報道編譯　　煙草業官員說，上周（3.3-3.9）一些折扣連鎖店和便利店卷煙的銷售增長了逾10%，表明一些吸煙者預計價格將上漲而正在囤積卷煙。

　　據該國最大的零售商樂天瑪特稱，從3月6日到8日的三天內，與去年同期相比，卷煙銷售上升了16%，相比之下，比3月1日到5日下降了15%。一家大連鎖便利商店GS25稱，其卷煙銷售還增加了約12%。

　　在政府報告計劃提高卷煙稅，作為降低國家高吸煙率和籌集資金資助福利項目的一個措施后，卷煙銷售大幅上漲。

　　在3月6日的議會聽證會上，健康和福利部長提名人Chin Young稱低卷煙價格是全國高吸煙率的一個關鍵原因。

　　“韓國男性的吸煙率是經濟合作發展組織(OECD)國家中最高的，但卷煙的價格是最低的，”Chin Young在聽證會上說。

　　根據由歐盟開展的一項2009年的研究表明，韓國的吸煙率是經合組織成員國中第2高的。該研究顯示，在韓國，44.3%的15歲以上的男性吸煙，僅次于有46.3%的希臘。

　　總統樸槿惠的一個主要助手Chin Young說，低卷煙價格也是青少年吸煙率高的一個關鍵原因，暗示新政府將考慮通過提高煙草消費稅提高卷煙價格。政府每年從煙草稅中獲得的收入大約是7萬億韓元(64.2億美元)。

　　執政的新世界黨也傾向于提高卷煙價格。上周（3.3-3.9），新世界黨的議員金載沅提交了修訂法案，呼吁通過提高煙草消費稅和改善健康費用，把每包的卷煙零售價格提高2000-4500韓元。

　　兩屆議員承諾今年通過該法案，稱立法者已經達成了跨黨派的共識。金說，自從上次于2004年提高以來，在過去8年中，卷煙價格維持在同樣水平，修訂法案是及時的。

　　然而，政府和執政黨提高煙草價格的舉措，引起了吸煙者和小煙草零售商的反對。

　　零售商反對政府的計劃，因為它會抑制煙草產品的銷售。

　　“提高卷煙價格提高2000韓元太多了。在一個調查中，我們70%的成員說，提價500韓元將是合適的，”3月9日韓國煙草零售商協會在一份聲明中說。

　　該協會是全國卷煙零售商的一個游說團體，它表示，如果政府把價格上調2000韓元，那么它應該補貼小煙草零售商，以保護它們免受價格上漲可能導致銷售下降的沖擊。

　　它說，超過76%的卷煙零售商是小企業主，店鋪的面積不到66平方米。

　　吸煙者也反對計劃的提價方案，稱如果國民議會批準提高煙草稅的修訂法案，那么工人階級家庭將成為第一個受到影響的群體。

　　“我敦促政府找到提高煙草稅之外的額外的稅收來源，”一個辦公室職員金南蘇說。

　　韓國疾病控制和預防中心發布的最新研究發現，提高卷煙價格是降低卷煙消費最有效的途徑。該機構的數據顯示，價格每提高500韓元，卷煙消費會減少7.3%。

Korea - South: Smokers Stockpiling Cigarettes

　　Sales of cigarettes jumped more than 10 percent at some discount chains and convenience stores last week, an indication that some smokers are moving to stockpile them in anticipation of price hikes, industry officials said.

　　According to Lotte Mart, one of the nation's largest retailers, sales of cigarettes rose 16 percent for three days from March 6 to 8 from a year earlier, compared with a 15 percent drop from March 1 to 5. GS25, a major convenience store chain, said its cigarette sales also increased about 12 percent.

　　The sharp gains in cigarette sales followed reports the government plans to raise taxes on cigarettes as a means to reduce the country's high smoking rate and raise funds to finance welfare programs.

　　Health and Welfare Minister nominee Chin Young cited low cigarette prices as one of the key reasons behind the nation's high smoking rate during parliamentary hearings on March 6.

　　"The smoking rate of Korean males is at the highest level among the Organization for Economic Cooperation Development (OECD) countries, but the prices of cigarettes are the lowest," Chin said at the hearing.

　　According to a 2009 study conducted by the European Union, Korea's smoking rate was the second-highest among OECD members. The survey showed that 44.3 percent of all males aged 15 and older in Korea smoke, trailing only behind Greece with 46.3 percent.

　　Chin, one of the key aides of President Park Geun-hye, said low cigarette prices are also a key reason for the high smoking rate among teenagers, hinting the new government will consider raising cigarettes prices by increasing tobacco consumption taxes. Government revenue from tobacco taxes is about 7 trillion won ($6.42 billion) per year.

　　The ruling Saenuri Party is also moving to raise cigarette prices. Rep. Kim Jae-won of Saenuri submitted a revision bill last week calling for retail cigarette price hikes of 2,000 won to 4,500 won per pack by increasing the tobacco consumption tax and health improvement fees.

　　The two-term lawmaker pledged to pass the bill this year, saying lawmakers had already reached a bipartisan consensus. Kim said cigarette prices have remained the same for the past eight years since they were last raised in 2004 and the revision bill was timely.

　　However, the government and ruling party's moves to raise tobacco prices are drawing protest from smokers and small tobacco retailers.

　　Retailers are opposing the government's plan as it will dampen sales of tobacco products.

　　"Raising cigarette prices by as much as 2,000 won is too much. In a survey, 70 percent of our members said a hike of 500 won would be appropriate," the Korea Tobacco Retailer Association said Saturday in a statement.

　　The association, a lobby group for cigarette retailers across the nation, said if the government presses ahead with a price hike of 2,000 won, it should grant subsidies to small tobacco retailers to protect them from the possible fall in sales from the price hikes.

　　It said that more than 76 percent of cigarette retailers are small business owners whose shops are smaller than 66 square meters.

　　Smokers also opposed the planned increase, saying working-class households will be the first who suffer if the revision bill to raise tobacco taxes is approved in the National Assembly.

　　"I urge the government to find additional tax sources other than raising tobacco taxes," said Kim Nam-su, an office worker.

　　Recent research released by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that raising the price of cigarette is most effective in lowering cigarette consumption. According to data from the agency, cigarette consumption tends to decrease 7.3 percent toa every 500 won of price increase. Enditem