The price of cigarette packs will increase, and this is due to excise duty, a tax that increases every year. This means that every package you will buy will cost 20 lek more. If you bought a package for 250 ALL, it will now cost 270 ALL.

From ALL 7,250 for every 1,000 cigarettes, the price increases to ALL 7,500. Experts say that this increase is annual, with the aim of reducing the number of smokers.

“The excise tax is imposed to curb those that bring negative externalities, those products that harm health. The tendency for growth is a reality in every country of the world, because by harming health, increasing costs, the aim is for citizens to give up consumption. From year to year, we will see an even greater increase”, says Klodian Muça, economic expert.

Revenues from tobacco are second only to those from oil. For the year 2023, 280 million euros have been collected. However, this amount is thought to be higher, as 25% is illegal trade and smuggling.

“Albania has achieved that 70% of the price of the package consists of tobacco taxes. Albania has an illegal market that causes huge losses in the state budget. Studies show that it is higher, so, however, it is a significant increase and tax that does not go to the state budget. We have pockets that these taxes do not protect, but harm health”, says Roland Shuperka, expert of Tobacco Quality Control.

The purpose of this annual increase is to reduce consumption, but until now we continue to be in high numbers regarding smokers in Albania, where according to data from ISHP, 40% are smokers. Our country ranks fourth in Europe for the sale of cigarettes per capita for people over the age of 15.

“It has not yielded results and is not expected to yield results, even though it is done to protect the public health of teenagers. But, given that there is an illegal market, this is the reason. The government must fight it”, says Shuperka.

By the end of November last year, 2,665 tons of tobacco entered the country, the highest level ever recorded.