Bulgarian Parliamentary Committee to Vote on Smoking Ban Amendments

Bulgaria's Parliamentary Economic Committee will vote Tuesday at a closed-doors session on the abolition of the full indoor smoking ban.
The proposal was put forth by MPs from center-right ruling party GERB between the first and second reading of the new Tourism Act, dnevnik.bg reminds.
At the end of last week, GERB MPs Ivan Bozhilov and Evgeni Stoev suggested that the Tourism Act should be amended to permit smoking in night clubs and in bars and restaurants with separate rooms for smokers and non-smokers.
The two GERB MPs also suggested that small bars and restaurants with an area of up to 50 square meters should be allowed to decide whether the site is for smokers or non-smokers.
The vote was postponed for December 18 to get MPs acquainted with the stances of the Health Ministry and the Ministry of Economy, Energy, and Tourism.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov declared Saturday that GERB was totally against the abolition of the full indoor smoking ban despite the fact that he had suggested one week earlier that smoking could be allowed in bars and restaurants after 10 p.m.
Borisov went so far as to declare he would file his resignation of the full smoking ban was lifted.
Despite Borisov's warning, the initiators of the legal amendments did not withdraw them.
President Rosen Plevneliev also opposed the abolition of the full indoor smoking ban and implied he could veto the amendments if they got approved by Parliament, according to Novinite.com.
Helath Minister Desislava Atanasova has repeatedly stated her opposition to the removal of the full smoking ban.
Delyan Dobrev, Minister of Economy, Energy, and Tourism, is the only Minister supporting the abolition of the full smoking ban.
Parliament Chair Tsetska Tsacheva has also rejected the amendments mainly due to the unacceptable practice of amending one law to introduce changes in another one.

Drop in cigarette sales drags down spending

Consumption, a main driver of growth in the French economy, slipped by 0.2 percent in October from the September level.

The INSEE statistics institute, which published the data, also revised down data for September to show stable consumption instead of a rise of 0.1 percent from the level for August.

INSEE said that in October, a rise in purchases of durable goods had not compensated for a sharp fall in spending on cigarettes after taxes were hiked on tobacco products.

At BNP Paribas bank, economists commented: "The fall is limited and is less than expected and the details are rather reassuring given the economic situation."

At Société Générale bank, chief economist Michel Martinez said that the outcome was in line with government thinking, to the extent that the effect of budget tightening was mainly reducing the rate at which people saved and so would have a moderate effect on consumption, according to The Local.

But this was just an initial sign, and one had to be cautious about the consequences of the budget action, he said.

Amman tobacco companies to reduce cigarette prices by 15%

Local tobacco companies have informed the Income and Sales Tax Department that they plan to reduce the prices of cigarettes by around 15 per cent in a bid to compete with smuggled cigarettes, a government source said Sunday.

The official, who preferred to remain unnamed, told The Jordan Times that local manufacturers of cigarettes have to inform the department whenever they decide to raise or reduce the prices of tobacco products, noting that smuggled cigarettes, mainly from Syria, have hit the industry.

There are seven tobacco manufacturing firms in Jordan, which have been complaining that smuggled cigarettes threaten their businesses.

Over the past few years, the government has raised taxes on cigarettes several times, which encouraged smuggling of the product, according to manufacturers.

The tax rate on local cigarettes is around 75 per cent of the value of the product.

Several shop owners told The Jordan Times that tobacco firms have almost stopped supplying them with cigarettes until the new prices are announced.

Amer Rabie, who owns a shop in the capital’s Tlaa Al Ali area, indicated that suppliers have not visited the store for days and wholesalers informed him that prices of Jordanian-made cigarettes will go down within the next few days.

Ahmad Al Sagheir also complained of a shortage of cigarettes at his store because suppliers are waiting for tobacco companies to announce their decision to reduce prices.

According to official figures, smuggled tobacco products currently account for over 40 per cent of the local market.