According to GMA News on November 7, on May 12, the Bureau of Customs - Manila International Container Port (BOC-MICP) in the Philippines intercepted three shipments of illegal cigarettes and e-cigarette products from Singapore, with a total estimated value of 791 million pesos (approximately 14 million US dollars). The Department of Finance (DOF) stated on Thursday (7th) that the revenue lost each year due to cigarette and e-cigarette smuggling amounts to as much as 52 billion pesos (9 billion US dollars).
During the Senate inquiry on the 2025 budget, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto pointed out that tobacco smuggling leads to a loss of 35 billion pesos (6 billion US dollars), while e-cigarette smuggling results in a loss of around 17 billion pesos (3 billion US dollars).
According to Senator Grace Poe, the proponent of the budget proposal, importers of tobacco and e-cigarette products should first register with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and obtain approval stamps before transporting them to the Philippines.
Apart from confiscating smuggled tobacco and e-cigarette products, Rick To pointed out that the Department of Finance is planning to propose a modification to the national e-cigarette law to eliminate distinctions in treatment of e-cigarette products and achieve a unified tax rate.
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