THE Tobacco Retailers’ Alliance is calling on the UK Government to rule out further increases in tobacco tax in this year’s Autumn Budget. Ahead of chancellor Philip Hammond’s next Budget, scheduled for 22 November the TRA has made a number of requests relating to tobacco as part of a submission to the Treasury ahead of budget day.
The TRA has called for a repeal on what it describes as “heavy-handed tobacco regulations” that threaten to put retailers out of business, as well as a commitment to rule out further regulations such as retailer licensing.
Suleman Khonat, national spokesperson for the TRA said: “We know that the raft of changes introduced this year including scrapping small packs and plain packaging together with sky high taxes on tobacco are badly affecting many independent retailers. Yet despite these restrictions, tobacco remains a fundamental part of their businesses.
“Raising tobacco taxes even further would put at risk the existence of 50,000 small businesses, the 370,000 jobs that they create and billions of tax revenue because it simply pushes smokers to buy from the black market.”
