Cigarette Tax Increases

Members of the parliament have determined the tax rate for the retail sales of cigarettes. 
As per their decision, since March 20, the beginning of the next Iranian year, the retail prices of domestically-produced cigarettes with Iranian brand names will increase by 250 rials (per cigarette), those of domestically-produced cigarettes with global brand names will rise by 500 rials and those of imported cigarettes will grow by 1,500 rials per cigarette. 
Tax on each 50-gram pack of local tobacco will rise by 33,000 rials and that of imported tobacco will increase by 100,000 rials, IRNA reported. 
According to Ali Asghar Baqerzadeh, a lawmaker, cigarette consumption inflicts 1,300 trillion rials in losses on the country annually. 
With the slight increase in cigarette tax, the country will earn 40 trillion rials [$160 million], he added.