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Smoking kills. Higher taxes on tobacco products are a proven method of reducing smoking, since most smokers want to quit. Kyiv, April 13 (Interfax-Ukraine) - Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko has signed a bill amending some legislative acts to increase tobacco excise taxes into law.

As reported earlier, Ukraine's parliament passed a bill increasing as of May 1, 2009, the minimum excise taxes on non-filter cigarettes from UAH 25 to UAH 50 per 1,000 and filtered cigarettes from UAH 47 to UAH 100 per 1,000. Thus, the minimum excise rate per pack of 20 non-filter cigarettes will grow from UAH 0.50 to UAH 1 and of 20 filtered cigarettes from UAH 0.94 to UAH 2.

The law also foresees an increase in specific excise duty (based on quantity, weight and volume in contrast to the ad valorem tax paid on the cost) on cigars from UAH 50 per kg to UAH 60 per 1,000, on non-filter cigarettes from UAH 15.60 to UAH 35 per 1,000, and filtered cigarettes from UAH 37.50 to UAH 60 per 1,000.