Cambodian government considers raising duty tax on local cigarettes

A packet of local Cambodian ARA cigarettes costs 1400Riel, around £0.22. Government tobacco tax on local products is currently 10%. Smoking and drinking is endemic in the poor youth of Cambodia and tax hike is proposed to cut the addiction. Ayda Yurekli, an academic from the World Health Organization, told a conference in the capital yesterday that: “Increasing tobacco retail tax would deter smokers and increase government revenue,” and that “Cambodia has a huge young population, and the government has to prevent them becoming smokers. There is a lot of room to increase government revenue by raising taxes.”

http://www.demotix.com/news/1456882/cambodian-government-considers-raising-duty-tax-local-cigarettes#media-1456638