From: Greek Reporter
By Evgenia Choros
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“Illicit cigarette and bulk tobacco trade strips the Greek state from significant revenue each year that could be used for paying pensions, salaries, and social benefits,” stated Iakovos Kargarotos, vice-president of Philip Morris International’s affiliate in Greece, Papastratos AVES. “It creates a big public revenue hole that taxpayers have to fill,” he told Bloomberg.
However, despite OLAF’s encouraging announcement, a recent article by Bloomberg reveals some worrying numbers regarding tobacco smuggling and tax revenue. Αccording to the publication, more than 670 million euros is lost in annual revenue, due to the illicit tobacco trade.
