But RNZ has seen a Ministry of Health document, sent to Costello, which says the minister is proposing to freeze the excise tax. A Cabinet paper in 2020 said raising excise tax was a big factor in people stopping smoking. The report linked the big fall in smoking rates with the increases in excise tax since 2011. That could deliver a win for companies producing what are known as Heated Tobacco Products, or HTPs. Hoek said removing the excise tax from heated tobacco products would be welcomed by the tobacco industry.

Source: New Zealand Herald January 24, 2024 20:21 UTC