The Cambodia Movement for Health (CMH) yesterday said that 28 percent of all imported cigarettes being sold in the Kingdom do not have a General Department of Customs and the Excise tax label, making them illegal. According to a press release by CMH yesterday, research conducted by the Royal University of Phnom Penh found that well known cigarette brands, including ESSE, Hero Oris and Gold Seal, were regularly found unlabelled at shops and markets across the Kingdom.

 

It said that according to interviews with cigarette sellers, unlabelled cigarettes are distributed by cigarette company agents who purchase them directly from wholesale depots. World Health Organization technical officer of Yel Daravuth said that cigarettes without  tax-paid labels are illegal.

 

“Illegal cigarettes are a major obstacle to tobacco control in Cambodia, as they not only result in a loss of state tax revenue, but they also put people at risk of unknown side effects and diseases,” he said. Sovan Dara, a professor at the Royal University of Phnom Penh who was involved in carrying out the research, said that interviews were conducted at 400 locations across Phnom Penh, as well as in the provinces of Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Svay Rieng and Siem Reap since last year.

 

read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50780265/cmh-says-28-percent-of-imported-cigarettes-are-contraband/

The remaining 72% are mine!