OREANDA-NEWS. Belarus’ Grodno-based Neman tobacco factory plans export 2.4-2.5 billion cigarettes in 2013, Neman General Director Yuri Chernyshev told a press conference.

The tobacco mill exported 1.1 billion worth cigarettes in 2012, 4.5 times up on the year, Chernyshev informed. “We have been accelerating exports by 200% per annum, with 2.4-2.5 billion cigarettes to be exported in 2013,” the company director said.

As previously reported, Neman’s cigarette exports totalled USD 10.609 billion in 2012 (up 4.4 times). According to the factory’s statistical reports, since 2005 Neman’s cigarette exports expanded 437 times in value terms. In 2012 the company exports cigarettes to Lithuania, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and the Middle East.

The tobacco mill reported a net profit of Br481.2 billion (USD 55.824 million) in 2012, to compare with Br74 billion (USD 8.585 million) in 2011.

Tobacco sales proceeds grew twofold in 2012 to Br3.7 trillion (USD 428.7 million). Neman plans to gain Br6 trillion (USD 696.056 million) in cigarette sales proceeds in 2013, Chernyshev informed.

Neman Tobacco Factory paid Br1.79 trillion (USD 207.42 million) in taxes to the state budget of Belarus in 2012, up 2.7 times on the year. The company’s tax payments in 2013 are expected to rise to Br3.7 trillion (USD 429.234 million).

Neman was founded in 1861 and transformed into a joint-stock company with all shares controlled by the state in December 2007. Neman had its cigarette production quota for 2012 raised to 25.5 billion units.

Production quotas apply solely to cigarettes produced for Belarus’ home market, while tobacco goods manufactured under export contracts are not subject to any regulations and are not included into the overall quota.