Romanian Tobacco, Alcohol Excise Upped In ’09, Moves Up EU Set Level -Fin Min

"Not for energy, lighters or magazines," Pogea said in a TV show on Antena 3 Thursday, referring at setting up or hiking the excises duties for other products.

According to Business Standard, cited by Realitatea TV station, minister of finance drafted a list with the products subject to further excises, including mobile phones, caviar, GPS systems and certain hunting weapons, iPhones, lighters, watches or adult magazines.

Romania’s Finance Ministry said Thursday in a press statement it does not plan to put excise duty on products such as mobile phones, watches or lighters.

Romanian Government said in January the excise for tobacco would be increased in the near future to the level it was supposed to reach by 2010 in accordance with the calendar agreed by Romania with the European Commission.

According to the Fiscal Code, the total excise for one thousand cigarettes, valid on July 1, 2008, was EUR50. Its value was supposed to grow to EUR61.2 on July 1, 2009 and to EUR74 on July 1, 2010. The excise also includes the vice tax, which is EUR10.

Cigarette maker Japan Tobacco International (JTI) said the Romanian tobacco excise calendar has already been rushed with the introduction of the vice tax, and an early increase of the excise would spell 50% increases in cigarette prices and would put contraband in control of 30% of the market.

As for alcohol, the excise reaches EUR750 per hectoliter of pure alcohol, a level that will remain unchanged until 2010 because it is in compliance with European Commission requirements.