Russia wants partner countries to raise taxes to protect home manufacturers.
Russia is concerned about the rising illegal import of cigarettes from Belarus and Kazakhstan, Russia’s Deputy Finance Minister Sergei Shatalov said at a business conference in Moscow on June 28.
He mentioned that Russia had far higher excise tax rates than the other two members of the Customs Union.
“They are twice as high as in Kazakhstan and Belarus. [Russia's] rate of excise tax on filterless cigarettes is six to seven times as high.” Said Mr. Shatalov.
The difference in prices leads to a rise in deliveries of Belarusian and Kazakh cigarettes into Russia, in particular into North Caucasian republics, he warned.
The finance ministries of the three countries are currently in talks over the possibility of introducing uniform excise tax rates.
“Yesterday and today we continue talks with our colleagues in Minsk and we hope to draw up a roadmap in the near future. We will be harmonizing excise tax rates,” Mr. Shatalov was quoted as saying.
He said that Belarus and Kazakhstan treated Russia's stance with understanding.
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