OREANDA-NEWS. December 16, 2009. As the Finance Minister Veaceslav Negruta has noted, the change of legislation will increase the share of excise in the final cost of one pack of cigarettes from 1 up to 1.8 leis, as well as will raise budget revenue.

The head of the Finance Ministry also specified that the excise duty on cigarettes were raised in all countries of the region and Moldova should not be afraid of smuggling, noting that currently the opposite trend is observed- Moldovan cigarettes are actively exported abroad. Some MPs have expressed concern that raising the excise tax on cigarettes will destroy the balance of prices and would negatively affect the segment of cheap cigarettes, produced by Chisinau Tobacco Factory "Tutun and will reduce revenue in form of excise taxes on cigarettes.

The Minister of Finance did not agree with such assessments. As the chairman of the Parliamentary Commission for Economy, Budget and Finance Veaceslav Ionita noted, the final decision to increase the excise tax on cigarettes will be made in the second reading. According to him, the issue on the amount of increase in excise tax is not yet resolved because there are different opinions on this subject, including the producers and importers of cigarettes.