Due to being printed in higher security conditions, new excise stamps have significantly increased business costs.
TIRANA, Dec. 1 – Representatives of Albania’s cigarette industry say they are concerned about the new excise stamps being used on cigarettes sold in Albania, which due to being printed in higher security conditions, have significantly increased business costs.
Representatives of the tobacco industry say that they want the Ministry of Finance to make public the information on how the fiscal stamps are produced. They added they are ready and propose a meeting with authorities to bring experience from other countries in the production of a new fiscal stamp. They made their comments during a meeting organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Albania to deal with business issues in general.
“The government decision to give a 5 percent bonus for the concession of fiscal stamp production to a company which has submitted a proposal without a bid, was done without transparency and without asking for the opinion of the businesses that represent the industry, unfairly affecting their business,” Philip Morris representatives said, according to the official publication of the American Chamber of Commerce in Albania.
Another issue raised by the cigarette producers was the prepayment of the excise tax when the purchase of the stamp takes place, causing a financial burden.
