Belarus President Lukashenko Considers Smuggling of Cigarettes

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko believes that the situation in the country's cigarette market should be the same as in Russia.

According to Lukashenko, it is necessary to listen to the advice of the Russian market in order to maintain stability in the Belarusian and Russian tobacco markets and to keep tobacco product prices consistent. It is reported that on January 1 of this year, Belarus and Russia established a unified tax commission aimed at controlling tobacco prices by raising consumption taxes to the level of Russia, and thus eradicating the current situation of large quantities of low-priced tobacco products being smuggled from Belarus to Russia.

The President of Belarus has emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation with Russia in the area of customs. In order to achieve this, Belarus has already established a working group consisting of 30 Russians. The group has since been split into two parts, each consisting of 15 individuals, who will provide exclusive advisory services. This expert group will assist Belarus in dealing with customs affairs and other issues.

Reference: Lukashenko Reveals Details on Union Programs