SINGAPORE is about to become the first country in the world to brand every single cigarette stick sold here with a mark.
It is a move to distinguish the duty-paid cigarette from its contraband counterpart, which the Tobacco Association here estimates makes up 20 per cent of the market.

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How will the smugglers react and what will they do to counter it?

Simple la the smuggler are to decode the mark. I am still able to buy my Salem at $4.50 a pack la. Relax and have a fag.

There are men at the hawker center near my house selling leh. I told the neighbourhood police and the reaction was "we know but cannot catch them all, spring wind blows will grow again".

how about those people who brought in foreign cigarettes AND PAID Excise duties? how to differentiate?

Customs stamp and give receipt for every cigarette?

phandoko
If you declared at the airport the amount of cigs and paid the duty, you will get a receipt and you have to carry it with you when stop by a customs officer. Very lecheh la.

Firstly, how is the authority going to stop the smugglers/smokers from faking the mark on the cigarettes. I am sure they will find a way to do it. Secondly, ICA says those who declare their foreign-bought cigarettes will be issued a receipt after the various duties and taxes are paid. How are the ICA or police going to identify which are the foreign cigarettes have duties/taxes paid and which are not. Is ICA going to stamp the mark on every stick of duties-paid foreign cigarettes at the check-point, or what?? Else, one can keep holding to this tax receipt and continue to buy contraband cigarettes so long as he has the receipt.

So, why go through all these troublesome process and waste more of tax payers' money. The most effective way to stamp-out cigarette-smuggling and people smoking contraband cigarette/tobacco will be :

i) mandatory jail and cane for ciggarette smugglers, no mitigation. no mercy.

ii) mandatory jail and minimum fine of S$500 per packed of contraband cigarettes found in buyers/smokers' possession. no mitigation and no mercy.

iii) conduct raids at hot spots like Geyland Lorong 14, Sungei Kadut, .....at least twice a day.

IF THE AUTHORITY IS REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT REDUCING THE NUMBER OF SMOKERS IN SINGAPORE, AND ALSO IF THEY REALLY CARE ABOUT THE HEALTH OF OTHERS IN SINGAPORE.

afterall smoking is a personal choice though it has has it's negativities. pricing it out- of -reach to the man/woman will only attract endless smugglers. what authorities should do is to get tough with shops that sells cigis to underaged, continue public education and have more undercover officers to nab underage smoking/selling. so far there have been no reports on such enforcement success.

The estimate from the Tobacco Association here that 20% of cigarettes smoked on our shores is duty-unpaid, is rather conservative. Examine the empty cigarette boxes at any night spot, at closing time, & you will notice empty boxes of contraband cigarettes may outnumber the duty-paid ones.

#7
I tot it will be up to cigarette manufacturers to stamp the cigarettes? Quite stupid to stamp after it leaves the production line, right?

Hence the troublesome part will burden the manufacturers only. I don't really see how it will waste taxpayer's monies. it's also easier for ICA to see if cigarettes are legit or not ... I think. Currently, I am not sure how they do it, but surely having an obvious stamp should make it easier? i.e less troublesome?

Personally, the ideal situation is where smoking is allowed (still get tax monies), but so restricted (as in where one can actually smoke) that it doesn't bother me. =D


#9
p.s how does one differentiate contraband? for a non-smoker like me, I wouldn't know the difference unless the box has text in foreign language... even then, is it necessarily contraband?