The sales tax on cigarettes has not increased, according to Minister of Finance Ezzeddine Kanakrieh.

Kanakrieh explained that in an effort to counter cigarette-smuggling and after the government prohibited the import of equipment used to illegally manufacture tobacco products - with the exception of licensed manufacturers - the tax revenues earned by the government from licensed tobacco manufacturers reached more than JD 15 million in 2018.

The minister predicted that the government’s tax earnings from the said manufacturers are set to reach around JD 120 million in 2019.

Next week, the government will be lowering taxes on around 150 basic commodities, Kanakrieh said.

Jordanians interested in reading the government’s monthly financial bulletin, which states its budget, expenditure, deficit and indebtedness, can find this information on the ministry’s website.