烟草在线据《马尼拉时报》报道编译　　对政府将不会放弃其提高酒类产品和烟草税计划的王宫声明，菲律宾烟草协会表示失望，警告说更高的税收将影响到烟草种植者。

　　菲律宾烟草协会主席Rodolfo Salanga称最近总统府发言人Edwin Lacierda的声明令人担忧，他声明，对财政部的寻求重新调整卷烟和酒类产品的消费税系统将把卷烟的税收提高高达1000%的提案，不会打折扣。

　　Lacierda声称税收结构的“合理化”，将会使税收额外多收600亿比索。

　　“当一个官僚开始说诸如‘合理化’或者‘重新安排’的话时，要警惕。经常发生的事情是大量的人会发现他们失去了工作，”Salanga说。

　　Salanga解释说，目前的税制结构为政府提供了一个稳定而可预见的收入来源。2010年，政府仅从烟草业就征收了大约316亿比索的消费税。这个数字超过了政府的258亿比索的目标。

　　“当现有的系统运转很好的时候，为什么他们推动通过一个未经测试的系统呢？”Salanga问道。

　　财政部的计划是要求在未来两年内大幅提高消费税，例如所有的卷烟品牌将会在第三年为每包卷烟支付30比索的税收。这意味着目前占到了卷烟业务60%的大量廉价卷烟品牌，目前支付的消费税为每包2.72比索，在两年后，支付的消费税将高达30比索。

　　“即使发达国家的税收也不会提高很高，”Salanga说。“我们认为，财政部长Cesar Purisima的预期不会实现。这一计划将要剥夺卷烟业中大约270万名农民和其他利益相关者的生活来源，导致企业倒闭。”

　　他说，如果这个计划推行，还会引起卷烟走私活动的高涨和假烟的泛滥。

　　“这些未经授权的产品将廉价销售，而不纳税。政府将无法从它们那里收到税收。如果财政部的建议通过的话，所有本地制造商都将受到影响。只有名牌产品进口商将从中受益。为什么我们要保护这些进口商呢？他们不从我们的农民手中买一片烟叶，他们的海外工厂也不聘用菲律宾人呀？”他补充说。

Farmers to suffer from higher cigarette taxes – PTI

Manila Times
Jan 30, 2012

　　THE Philippine Tobacco Institute (PTI) has expressed dismay at a Palace statement that the government will not budge in its plan to raise alcohol and cigarette taxes, warning that tobacco farmers will suffer from higher taxes.

　　PTI President Rodolfo Salanga described as worrisome the recent pronouncement of presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda, that there would be no compromise on the bill of the Department of Finance (DOF) that seeks to restructure the excise tax system on cigarettes and alcohol products which will hike tax rate on cigarettes by as much as 1,000 percent.

　　Lacierda claimed that the "rationalization" of the tax scheme will result in the collection of an additional P60 billion in revenues.

　　"Be warned when a bureaucrat starts mouthing words like "rationalize" or "right-size." What usually happens is a number of people will find themselves jobless, Salanga said.

　　Salanga explained that the present tax structure gives the government a stable and predictable source of revenue. In 2010, the government collected about P31.6 billion in excise taxes from the tobacco industry alone. This figure is more than the government's target of P25.8 billion.

　　"Why are they pushing the passage of an untested system when the existing one is working very well?" Salanga asked.

　　The Finance deparment's plan calls for steep increases in two years, such that all cigarette brands would pay a tax of P30 per pack at the third year. This means that a number of low-priced cigarette brands, which currently account for sixty percent of the cigarette business, and which are currently paying an excise tax rate of P2.72 per pack, would end up paying a staggering P30 after two years.

　　"Even developed countries do not jack up taxes that high," Salanga said. "The way we see it, [Finance] Secretary [Cesar] Purisima's projections will not be realized. What it will do is deprive some 2.7 million farmers and other stakeholders in the cigarette industry of a source of livelihood, and cause the closure of businesses."

　　He said that if the plan will also cause an upsurge in smuggling of cigarettes and the proliferation of fake cigarettes.

　　"These unauthorized products are sold cheap, but do not pay taxes. Government will not be able to collect taxes from them. If the DOF proposal is passed, all local manufacturers will suffer. Only importers of premium brands will benefit. Why are we protecting these importers when they do not buy a single leaf of tobacco from our farmers nor employ Filipinos in their factories abroad?" he added.