Kenya: Illicit Cigarette Trade Costs Kenya Sh47bn in Lost Tax Revenue, Study Finds
[Capital FM] Nairobi -- Almost half of cigarettes consumed in Kenya are illicit, with the trade costing the Government an estimated Sh47 billion in lost excise duty and VAT between 2021 and 2025, according to a Kantar study commissioned by BAT Kenya.
A recent Kantar study commissioned by BAT Kenya has revealed that illicit cigarette trade in Kenya accounts for 45.1% of total cigarette consumption and costs the government an estimated Sh47 billion in lost excise duty and VAT between 2021 and 2025. This illicit trade could have funded key government programs, including the construction of 48,000 affordable houses or the purchase of 19 million bags of subsidised fertiliser.
BAT Kenya Managing Director Sidney Wafula has called for sustained government action to tackle the illicit trade, including stronger border controls, faster investigations and prosecutions, and a more robust track-and-trace system.
Brief written by urgent.news from AllAfrica Health's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
