Business news from Ukraine

PHILIP MORRIS ASKS UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT TO SUPPORT ALTERNATIVE PROPOSALS ON RISING TAXES ON TOBACCO

PrJSC Philip Morris Ukraine, a large tobacco producer, proposes to replace a 320% tax increase on tobacco products for electric heating, which should come into force on January 1, 2021, with an annual increase of 50% during 2022-2025 or 200% in 2021 and 20% in subsequent years.
According to the published letter of Philip Morris Ukraine CEO Konstantinos Salvaras to the president of Ukraine, a gradual increase in the excise tax on tobacco products for electric heating by 50% per year or by 200% in 2021 and by 20% in subsequent years will save the market from a total transition to the shadows and bring more revenues to the state budget than a sharp increase in the excise tax rate by 320%.
“We urge the government to move away from the practice of unpredictable and unstable tax policy, which affects both the attitude of investors and the economy of the country. Tax increases should be gradual, not fourfold,” the Philip Morris letter says.
The company reported that the government and academia share the vision of a gradual increase in the tax rate. Thus, the Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture supports the idea of increasing the rate on tobacco products for electric heating by 50% from January 1, 2021 and by 50% during 2022-2025, and a study conducted by the Institute for Economics and Forecasting of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine shows that a gradual increase in the excise tax on tobacco products for electric heating will provide additional UAH 18.7 million of revenues to the state budget compared to a sharp increase in the tax rate.
According to Philip Morris’ estimates, a sharp increase in excise taxes will lead to the loss of potential and real investments, state budget revenues, an increase in the level of smuggling, and a conflict with EU legislation.

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PHILIP MORRIS CUTS CIGARETTE SHIPMENTS IN UKRAINE BY 4.8% IN JAN-SEPT

Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) in January-September 2020 cut cigarette shipment volume by 4.8%, mainly due to the lower total market, partly offset by a higher market share, driven by heated tobacco units.
According to a quarterly report published by PMI, the total market in Ukraine was down by 9.7%, mainly reflecting the impact of excise tax-driven price increases, as well as reduced adult smoker average daily consumption, notably in the second quarter of 2020, due to lockdown measures.
The company said that in Q3 2020 the total market in Ukraine fell by 7.4%.

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ANTIMONOPOLY COMMITTEE OF UKRAINE CONTINUES TO CONSIDER CASE ON GOVT AID TO PHILIP MORRIS UKRAINE DUE TO COMPETITOR’S APPEAL

The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMC) continues to consider the case on government aid to PrJSC Philip Morris Ukraine, opened on January 3, 2020 due to an appeal from one of its competitors.
According to the information released on the committee’s website, in autumn of 2019, the committee received an application from one of the tobacco producers to verify information on illegal government aid due to the cancellation of the tax obligations previously determined for Philip Morris Ukraine by the State Fiscal Service.
The cancellation of tax obligations is one of the forms of government aid due to the law on government aid to business entities.
“Having received the application, the committee sent a request to the State Fiscal Service in accordance with the law. However, in response, the service provided explanations on the facts of tax obligations cancellation, but did not submit the necessary statement, which is a direct basis for initiating a government aid case,” the committee said.
Currently, the committee is analyzing the information provided by the parties of the case and other persons to make a decision. The committee also drew attention to the fact that the initiation of a government aid case is not the final conclusion about its admissibility or inadmissibility.
Philip Morris International is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of tobacco products. It produces cigarettes in more than 50 factories, sells them in 180 countries.
In Ukraine, the company has been operating for more than 20 years. It manufactures products in a factory in Kharkiv region.

PHILIP MORRIS UKRAINE, BAT, JTI AND IMPERIAL TOBACCO IN UKRAINE MULLING CLOSURE OF FACTORIES OVER REGULATION OF MARKUP

Philip Morris Ukraine, British American Tobacco, JTI and Imperial Tobacco in Ukraine are mulling the possibility of decreasing production and later closing the tobacco factories on the territory of Ukraine over the adoption of the legislative requirement on the government regulation of markup on their goods by the Verkhovna Rada.
“The fact of adoption of this bill will have serious consequences for the industry. This is the absence of a transition period and implementation mechanisms. In the near future, this will expose our business to risks. We will be forced to consider the issue of producing our goods at other factories, since we do not even fully understand how to execute this bill,” Director of British American Tobacco Ukraine Simon Welford said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday.
He said that bill 1049, passed at second reading, introducing a single account for paying taxes and duties, the single social security contribution, sets a fixed markup for wholesale and retail traders of tobacco products at 7% and 13% of the maximum retail price per package.
General Manager of Imperial Tobacco in Ukraine Rastislav Cernak said that these legislative initiatives could entail an increase in the volume of illegal trade in tobacco products from 8.4% to 20%. At the same time, he said that over the past three years, the volume of the “shadow” tobacco market has grown by about seven times and this annually cost UAH 5 billion the national budget.
At the same time, Cernak predicted a 25% reduction in cigarette production. “Such a 25% drop, according to our estimates, will cost the national budget about UAH 7 billion. Therefore, we urge the Verkhovna Rada to revise bill No. 1049 and remove the amendment that establishes the regulation of the markup. We request that transparent lawmaking in Ukraine along with an open dialogue with major investors start working, as such significant changes in taxation force us to rethink our business in Ukraine,” he said.

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PHILIP MORRIS UKRAINE SEES 3.4-FOLD RISE IN NET PROFIT IN 2018

Private joint-stock company Philip Morris Ukraine, a large tobacco company in Ukraine, saw a 3.4-fold rise in net profit in 2018 compared with 2017, to UAH 2.147 billion.
According to a company report in the information disclosure system of the National Commission for Securities and the Stock Market on holding the general meeting of shareholders on April 26, its assets last year grew by 5.7%, to UAH 10.51 billion.
The retained earnings soared eightfold, to UAH 2.374 billion. Total receivables grew by 10.4%, to UAH 7.475 billion.
The company plans to leave profit for 2018 in the company until the shareholders made a decision to pay dividends.
As reported, Philip Morris International Inc. cut shipments of cigarettes in Ukraine by 8.8% in 2018.
Philip Morris International is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of tobacco products. It produces cigarettes in more than 50 factories, sells them in 180 countries.
In Ukraine, it has been working for more than 20 years. Its production facilities are based in Kharkiv region.

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PHILIP MORRIS INTERNATIONAL REDUCES CIGARETTE SHIPMENTS IN UKRAINE BY 8.8% IN 2018

Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) Tobacco Company in 2018 reduced cigarette shipments in Ukraine by 8.8% from due to a decline in the overall market, which was partially offset by an increase in the total market share of heated tobacco products. The total volume of the cigarette market in Ukraine in 2018 decreased by 8.1% mainly due to an impact of rising prices and an increase in illegal trade, PMI said in an annual report. According to the company, the total volume of the cigarette market in Ukraine decreased by 8.7% in the fourth quarter of 2018 alone. Shipments of PMI cigarettes in October-December decreased by 10.4%.
Philip Morris International is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of tobacco products. It produces cigarettes in more than 50 factories, sells them in 180 countries.
In Ukraine, it has been working for more than 20 years. Its production facilities are based in Kharkiv region.

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