煙草在線據《柬埔寨日報》報道編譯　　世界衛生組織的一名代表9月3日稱，柬埔寨的卷煙價格將上漲6%，價格上漲將為該國帶來約360萬美元的預算收入，使吸煙率降低9%。

　　在金邊舉行的煙草稅收制度研討會期間，世界衛生組織“無煙項目”的柬埔寨專家Yel Daravuth發言時稱，卷煙價格小幅上漲可能是卷煙消費稅從10%上漲至20%的結果。

　　Daravuth先生說：“所有調查都顯示，降低吸煙率和成為一個更健康的社會的第一步，就是要提高卷煙價格?！彼a充說，在實施有關該事項的次級法令后，就要提高價格了。

　　長期以來，健康專家一直呼吁對柬埔寨的煙草業征收更重的卷煙稅——柬埔寨是東盟成員國中卷煙稅最低的國家——但Daravuth先生認為，世界衛生組織將最終贏得這場斗爭。

　　“從1997年起，我一直從事煙草意識和煙草教育工作，直到現在，我們所傳達的信息才開始被關注和起作用，”他說。

　　“世界衛生組織此前曾要求提高卷煙稅，但也總是說說而已?，F在，柬埔寨副總理兼財務部長吉春（Keat Chhon）簽署了一個文件，闡明了政府朝著我們的目標努力的職責。而現在，衛生部、財務部與世界衛生組織在一起努力。”

　　在柬埔寨，稅務部門只征收卷煙零售價格的20%至25%，這是東盟成員國中僅次于老撾的第二低的稅率。

　　東南亞煙草控制聯盟負責東南亞煙稅項目的項目主管尤利西斯·多羅特奧稱，在泰國，稅務部門對卷煙總收入征收70%的稅收，是東盟成員國中煙稅最高的國家，每年約征收19億美元。

　　多羅特奧先生說，次級禁令中提出的稅費改革是微不足道的，但對一個每天有28人死于煙草相關疾病的國家來說，卻是很有必要的第一步措施。

　　“請財務部長來探討這個問題，已經向前邁出了一大步，”多羅特奧先生說，“我們希望煙草征稅方式發生較大改變，但我們采取的是緩和的方式，并同意循序漸進地改變，一旦這些都做好準備后，我們就能加大力度推進了?！?/p>

Cambodia: Small Cigarette Price Rise to Boost Budget

　　The cost of cigarettes is set to increase by 6 percent, a rise that should inject an estimated $3.6 million into the national budget and reduce cigarette smoking by 9 percent, a World Health Organization (WHO) representative said Tuesday.

　　Speaking on the sidelines of a workshop on tobacco taxation in Phnom Penh, Yel Daravuth, national professional for the WHO's Tobacco Free Initiative, said that the minimal increase would be the result of excise on cigarettes rising from 10 percent to 20 percent.

　　"All the research shows that the first step to lowering the prevalence of smoking and becoming a healthier society is to raise the price of cigarettes," Mr. Daravuth said, adding that the rise would come about after a sub-decree on the matter is implemented.

　　Health professionals have long called for Cambodia's tobacco industry to be more heavily taxed—it is the least taxed in Asean—but Mr. Daravuth believes that the WHO is finally winning the battle.

　　"I have been working in tobacco awareness and education since 1997 and only now are we starting to have our message heard and acted upon," he said.

　　"The WHO has previously asked for…increases in tax but it has always been just talk. Now we have a document signed by deputy Prime Minister and Fi-nance MinisterKeat Chhon, which states a government commitment to…work towards our goals. We now have the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance and the WHO working together."

　　In Cambodia, between 20 and 25 percent of the cigarette retail price ends up at the tax department, the second-lowest rate in Asean behind Laos.

　　In Thailand, the tax department sees 70 percent of all cigarette in-come, an Asean high and an annual windfall of about $1.9 billion, according to Ulysses Dorotheo, project director of the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance's Southeast Asia Initiative on Tobacco Tax.

　　Mr. Dorotheo said that the tax reforms proposed in the sub-decree were negligible but a necessary first step in a country where some 28 people die every day from tobacco-related diseases.

　　"It has been a huge step for the Ministry of Finance to come to the table on this issue," Mr. Dorotheo said. "We wanted big changes to the way tobacco is taxed but we have gone softly and agreed to incremental changes and once we get those in place we can push much harder." Enditem