The Slovak parliament adopted five laws aligning the excise tax legislation with that of the European Union, to which Slovakia is set to enter - along with nine other countries - on May 1, 2004, the TASR news wire wrote.
The excise taxes concern beer, wine, alcohol, tobacco, and mineral oil (fuels). With the exception of tobacco, the laws will not influence the current excise rates in May; a pack of cigarettes will be one crown (€0.02) more expensive due to an additional Sk0.05 excise tax per cigarette.
Opposition Movement for a Democratic Slovakia MP Miroslav Maxon initiated the parliament's resolution by pledging the government would compile an analysis on the impact of the illegal cigarette market in Slovakia and measures to combat it. The highest number of smuggled tobacco products in Slovakia come via Ukraine.
Compiled by Beata Balogová from press reports
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