Kent cigarettes price doubles in two years

The average cigarette price has risen by around 50% in the last year following three consecutive excise rises, by a total of 24 euros per thousand cigarettes. Market leader Kent now has a 10-RON shelf price, compared with 6.5 RON in January 2009, with 80% of sales going to the state in the form of excise duties and taxes. Producers say they are not expecting to see a significant decline in smoking incidence, due to the cheap smuggled cigarettes, which account for a quarter of consumption. In fact, last year sales fell 13-14% on the Romanian market in terms of volume against 2008, with the price of cigarettes rising 30% during the same interval. "Smoking incidence tends to be quite stable. Just as last year, those who have money will continue to smoke premium products, those who don't will smoke smuggled products, because there are no cheap cigarettes in Romania any more," said Gilda Lazar, communication manager of JTI Romania.