Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 6
By Fatih Karimov– Trend:
Over 2.8 billion cigarettes were smuggled into Iran during the first five months of the current fiscal year (March 20-Aug. 21), Ali Asghar Ramzi, head of Iran’s Center for Tobacco Planning and Supervision, said.
The figure indicates a fall by 47 percent year-on-year, Ramzi said, ISNA news agency reported Sept. 6.
He further said that Iran produced 19 billion cigarettes in the 5-month period, meanwhile 1.2 billion cigarettes were imported into the country legally.
About 22.9 billion cigarettes were smoked in the country during the first five months of the current fiscal year, Ramzi added.
The official noted that 6 billion cigarettes were smuggled into Iran in the fiscal year that ended March 20, 2017.
The number was 8 billion and 12 billion in preceding years, respectively.
The Iranian administration seriously follows a plan to domestically produce foreign cigarette brands, in order to cut the imports.
Iran produced 45 billion cigarettes during the last Iranian fiscal year (ended March 20), 15 billion more year-on-year. This is while in the current fiscal year (to end March 20, 2018) it is planned to produce 50 billion cigarettes.
About 55 billion cigarettes are smoked in Iran annually.