烟草在线据《马尼拉公报》报道编译　　菲律宾税务局驳回了陈永栽控制的菲莫福川烟草公司提出的将其万宝路品牌从高级类卷烟重新归类为低级卷烟的请求。

　　菲律宾税务局一名因事属“机密”而拒绝表明身份的消息人士说，税务局拒绝将万宝路原味、金万宝路淡味、万宝路薄荷和黑万宝路薄荷卷烟注册为低价类烟草。

　　菲律宾税务局局长Kim S. Jacinto-Heneres在被请求对此事给予证实的时候说，她会让菲莫福川烟草公司做出关于其注册请求结果的必要通告。

　　但Jacinto-Heneres说，她曾经向菲莫福川烟草公司告知过“关于卷烟统一税率的美好前景——高等级卷烟品牌与低等级卷烟品牌之间没有什么差别，每种烟都按相同的税率纳税。”

　　Jacinto-Heneres还透露，菲莫福川烟草公司在国会审议《10351号共和法案》或2012年的《罪恶税改革法案》期间，反对政府提出执行统一税率制的提案。

　　菲律宾税务局局长说：“现在他们开始抱怨低价位卷烟吞食他们的市场份额了？如果他们从一开始就不强烈反对我们提出的统一税制的提案的话，这种情况本来是不会发生的。”

　　根据新的消费税法，菲律宾税务局被要求从2013年至2016年，采取两级制消费税率——即低价类卷烟和高价类卷烟——对卷烟征税，最终到2017年的时候，实行每包30比索的单一税率。

　　在早些时候，富商陈永栽和美国烟草巨头菲莫国际公司组成的合资企业菲莫福川烟草公司请求菲律宾税务局对其万宝路品牌的四个名优品类重新分类，将它们从高价产品归类为低价产品。

　　菲莫福川烟草公司总裁保罗·赖利说，由于烟草销售因消费者转向更便宜的品牌和非法进口的卷烟而不断下滑，公司希望将万宝路重新归类于较低价位产品类别。

　　赖利说，菲莫福川烟草公司今年的产量已经从2012年的920亿支减少至680亿支。而且预计明年的产量还会进一步减少至480亿支。

　　如果获得批准，较便宜的万宝路卷烟将会与菲莫福川烟草公司自有的低价品牌冠军、财富和Jackpot进行竞争，这些品牌原先归福川烟草公司所有。

Philippines: BIR Rejects PMFTC's Reclassification Request

　　The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has rejected the request of Lucio Tan's group PMFTC Inc. to reclassify its Marlboro brands from high tier to low tier category.

　　A BIR source, who declined to be identified because the matter is "confidential," said the tax authorities denied the registration of Marlboro Original, Marlboro Gold Lights, Marlboro Menthol, and Marlboro Black Menthol to low price category.

　　When sought for confirmation, BIR Commissioner Kim S. Jacinto-Heneres said she will let PMFTC to make the necessary announcement regarding the result of its request for registration.

　　But Jacinto-Henares said she had told PMFTC about "the beauty of a unitary tax rate system on cigarettes - there's no distinction between high and low tier brands - everyone pays the same excise tax rate."

　　Jacinto-Henares also disclosed PMFTC had opposed the government's proposal for a unitary excise tax rate system during the deliberation of Republic Act 10351 or the Sin Tax Reform Act of 2012 in Congress.

　　"Now they started complaining about low-priced cigarettes eating up their market share? This could have been prevented if they did not strongly oppose our unitary proposal from the start," the BIR chief said.

　　Under the new excise tax law, the BIR is required to adopt two-tiered excise tax rates - low and high segments - on cigarettes from 2013 to 2016 and eventually a single rate of P30 per pack by 2017.

　　PMFTC, the joint venture between taipan Lucio Tan and American tobacco giant Philip Morris International, earlier requested the BIR to reclassify its four premium Marlboro brand variants from high to low tier.

　　Paul Riley, PMFTC president said the company wants Marlboro to be reclassified to a much lower tier due to declining sales as consumers turn to cheaper brands and illegally imported cigarettes.

　　Riley said PMFTC's production volume has declined to 68 billion sticks this year from 92 billion in 2012. Production volume is expected to further decrease next year to 48 billion.

　　If approved, cheaper Marlboro cigarettes will compete with PMFTC's own low-priced brands Champion, Fortune and Jackpot, which were previously owned by Fortune Tobacco Corporation. Enditem