The Council of Ministers has given the green light to the decree that reorganizes the excise duties on cigarettes. The new excise duties will enter into force from 2015 and will ensure, as expected, increased revenue of 200 million euros. The go-ahead for the measure came after just one parliamentary passage.
The increase will be between twenty and forty cents and will mainly concern the cheapest cigarettes, the "low-end" ones. Electronic cigarettes, on the other hand, will cost less: on this front, the Government has accepted the conditions set by the Finance Commissions of the House and Senate. The decree that reorders excise duties, in fact, provides for an increase in the discount of up to 50%. On the other hand, however, the prices of vials will increase.
The provision approved yesterday by the Council of Ministers, voted "out of the bag", also provides for the overcoming of the minimum excise duty already recently rejected by Brussels, the introduction of the minimum tax burden including VAT and the "specific" measure of the taxation which passes from 7 to 10%.
Finally, news also on matches and resales. The decree eliminates the consumption tax on matches, liberalizing their production and sale. On the retail front, in municipalities with up to 2000 inhabitants, the minimum requirements for the establishment of "licenses" for the sale of tobacco in public establishments will be adjusted downwards.
