烟草在线据《澳大利亚人》报道编译　　据报道，由于澳大利亚政府和反对党都在考虑放弃税收优惠的提案，进入澳大利亚的游客允许携带免税卷烟的情况受到了威胁。

　　《亨利税务审核》提议，抵达机场和其他入关点的人应该只被获准携带一包免税卷烟。

　　不过，澳大利亚政府拒绝把这项措施列入它对税务审核的最初回应当中。

　　七网络公司（Seven Network）的一份报告说，澳大利亚政府和执政联盟现在考虑放弃使预算每年损失大约2.7亿美元的税收优惠。

　　在主要机场的免税商店，一箱10包25支装的金边臣卷烟售价为79.99美元，相比之下，通常的零售价格大约为160美元。

　　游客获准带入250支免税卷烟，或250克雪茄或烟草产品。

　　2月13日晚，Wayne Swan和Joe Hockey都没有发表评论，但报道说，由于执政联盟热衷于显示自己没有受恩于“大烟草公司”，Hockey先生的储蓄工作组已经请执政联盟的卫生发言人Peter Dutton对这项措施提出建议。

　　财政部的发言人说，政府不会对预算的推测发表评论。

　　在提交的预算中要求废除税收优惠的心脏基金会也对该报道表示欢迎。

　　心脏基金会的临床问题主任Robert Grenfell说：“停止销售免税卷烟将有助于减少吸烟每年在澳大利亚造成的大量死亡，并终止实际上是政府给予烟草业的补贴的税收优惠。如果你吸烟，你心脏病发作的可能性至少增加两倍，而中风的可能性要增加三倍，因此心脏基金会对任何首先阻止人们沾染吸烟习惯，或帮助吸烟者戒烟的措施都表示欢迎。”

　　Grenfell博士说：“没有合理的理由继续销售免税卷烟——免税卷烟不仅使政府每年损失大约2亿美元的收入，而且还破坏其他烟草控制措施。”

　　亨利的报告指出，吸烟在低收入和社会地位低下的人群当中更为普遍。接受9年级教育的人有23%吸烟，相比之下，接受大学教育的人仅有11%吸烟。自2010年以来，澳大利亚政府加强了对吸烟的控制。澳大利亚总理凯文·路德宣布，在2010年预算前将烟草消费税提高25%。这是一项预计将会使政府财政在4年时间内增加50亿美元的举措。

　　与此同时，他宣布了实行卷烟平装的举措。而正是这项举措，使得澳大利亚政府被菲莫、英美烟草公司、帝国烟草公司和日本烟草国际公司在高等法院和国际论坛提出了诉讼。

　　劳动党也限制互联网烟草广告，防止零售商在网上促销便宜或免税卷烟。

　　新加坡是唯一一个不提供烟草免税补贴的重要目的地，而香港则只允许提供一包卷烟的免税补贴。

Agreement tipped on duty-free tobacco cuts

The Australian
Feb 14, 2012

　　THE duty-free status of cigarettes for travellers coming into the country is under threat, with both government and opposition reported to be considering proposals to abandon the tax concession.

　　The Henry Tax Review recommended that people arriving at airports and other points of entry be allowed to bring in only a single packet of cigarettes free of duty.

　　However, the government declined to include the measure in its initial response to the review.

　　A report by the Seven Network says the government and the Coalition are now considering abandoning the concession, which costs the budget about $270 million a year.

　　A carton of 10 packets of 25 Benson & Hedges costs $79.99 at duty-free stores at major airports, compared with a normal retail price of about $160.

　　Travellers are allowed to bring in 250 cigarettes duty free, or 250g of cigars or tobacco products.

　　Neither Wayne Swan nor Joe Hockey would comment last night, but the report said Mr Hockey's savings taskforce had asked Coalition health spokesman Peter Dutton to make a recommendation on the measure, with the Coalition keen to show it is not beholden to "big tobacco".

　　A spokesman for the Treasurer said the government would not comment on budget speculation.

　　The Heart Foundation, which called for the concession to be abolished in its budget submission, last night welcomed the report.

　　"Stopping duty-free cigarette sales would help to cut the huge death toll caused by smoking in Australia every year, and put an end to what is in effect a government subsidy for the tobacco industry," said Robert Grenfell, clinical issues director at the Heart Foundation. "If you smoke, you are at least twice as likely to have a heart attack and three times as likely to have a stroke, so the Heart Foundation welcomes any measure that stops people taking up the habit in the first place or helps smokers to quit.

　　"There is no rational reason to continue the sale of duty-free cigarettes -- not only does it cost the government about $200m a year in lost revenue, it undermines their other tobacco control efforts," Dr Grenfell said.

　　The Henry report noted that smoking was more prevalent among low-income and disadvantaged people. Twenty-three per cent of people with education to Year 9 smoke, compared with just 11 per cent of people with university education. The government has stepped up its war on smoking since 2010. Then prime minister Kevin Rudd announced a 25 per cent hike in tobacco excise ahead of the 2010 budget, a move that is expected to swell government coffers by a handy $5 billion over four years.

　　At the same time, he announced the move to tobacco plain packaging, which has led to the government being challenged by cigarette giants Philip Morris, British American Tobacco, Imperial Tobacco and Japan Tobacco International in the High Court and international forums.

　　Labor has also moved to restrict internet tobacco advertising, preventing retailers from promoting cheap or tax-free cigarettes online.

　　Singapore is the only major destination that provides no duty-free allowance for tobacco, while Hong Kong allows only one packet.