Budget Hike in Cigarette Duties Rejected

Parliamentarians have rejected a proposed increase on cigarette duties incorporated in the next fiscal budget bill (March 2018-19) and referred it back to the Majlis Joint Commission for revision. 

The commission is a parliamentary body responsible for reviewing the budget bill proposed by the government before its final ratification. It included in the government proposed bill a 350-rial (0.76 cents) increase in the duty for retail prices of locally and jointly produced Iranian cigarettes and a rise of 500 rials (one cent) in retail duty of imported cigarettes, ILNA reported.