Pakistan's Illegal Cigarette Market Surges Amid Tax Hikes
Pakistan sees a surge in illegal cigarette market share to 39% within two months due to increased taxes on the cigarette industry. Smuggled cigarette availability soars by 200%, with 70 new brands emerging, reports local media Dunya News (dunyanews.tv).
In January 2023, Pakistan's largest tobacco company held a market share of 4.8 billion cigarettes, which dropped to 1.8 billion by March 2023. Meanwhile, the illegal cigarette market share grew from 2.8 billion to 4.8 billion during the same period. Despite a 20% excise duty increase, government revenues only increased by 14%. Smuggled cigarettes from Afghanistan and Iran evade customs duty, taxes, and required health warnings.
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