Cigarette Prices May Rise in Kazakhstan

The Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan has developed a draft order on amendments to the current legislation concerning the establishment of minimum retail prices for tobacco products, The Caspian Post reports.

The document was published for public discussion on the Open NPA portal .

We are talking about changes to the order of the Minister of Finance dated February 22, 2022 No. 196, which determines the minimum prices for cigarettes with and without filters, cigarettes, cigarillos, as well as products with heated tobacco.

As noted in the explanatory note, the project was developed in accordance with subparagraph 2-1) of Article 5 of the Law "On State Regulation of Production and Circulation of Tobacco Products". The main goal is to implement a balanced tax and pricing policy with respect to tobacco products, as well as to facilitate the achievement of health goals - reducing tobacco consumption and smoking in the country.