An official at the Center of Tobacco Planning and Supervision, Soheila Akbarabadi said on Wednesday her department seized a total of 289 million smuggled cigarettes in the first nine months of the current Iranian calendar year (ending March 20), recording a 49-million increase compared to the similar period last year. “Efforts are being made to encourage domestic manufacturing of tobacco products to facilitate better supervision and control,” she was quoted by IRNA as saying. Iranians smoke nearly 48 to 54 billion cigarettes every year, according to data provided by the Statistical Center of Iran. The government has proposed levying 20 percent tax on tobacco manufacturers, 30 percent on joint ventures with foreign companies, and 40 percent on tobacco imports.
