Excise taxes for cigarettes rose in Armenia on January 1, ARKA cites head of the Armenian-Canadian joint venture Grand Tobacco, Bagram Brutyan, as saying.
The bill on increase of excise tax for cigarettes was passed in 2010 and will remain in force until 2014. Fixed payments per 1,000 cigarettes with filters increased from 5,500 drams to 6,250 drams ($14-16), the figure will reach 7,000 drams ($18) in 2013.
Armen Pogosyan, head of the Association of Consumers in Armenia, said that prices of 100-200 drams for cigarettes increased by about 10%, more costly cigarettes – by 20%.
The Armenian-Canadian joint venture International Masis Tabak, part of the Grand Holding, is the largest cigarette manufacturer in Armenia. About 50% of its tobacco products are exported to the US, Russia and Iran.
