Kiosk owners lambast proposed tobacco tax hike

Kiosk owners have warned the finance ministry that proposed increases in EU tobacco taxes could dramatically raise cigarette prices in Cyprus and boost smuggling from the north.

In a meeting with the customs department on Friday, the kiosk owner’s association (Sykade) said the EU’s planned excise hikes could push a pack of cigarettes from €4.50–€5.00 to €7.00–€7.50 and rolling tobacco from €7.00 to €13.00.

Sykade argued this would do irreparable damage to the legal market and consumer behaviour.