Finance Minister issues gazette reducing excise duty on cigarettes

(FASTNEWS | COLOMBO) – Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera has issued a gazette reducing the excise duty of a certain variety of cigarettes, a move drug resource centres say would cost the government Rs 1.4 billion a year.

The gazette, dated October 14, declares that the excise duty imposed on a batch of 1000 cigarettes measuring between 67mm – 72mm, would be reduced to Rs 33,000, with effect from October 15.

The previous duty, imposed through a gazette in July, stood at Rs 37,600.