The Health Ministry wants larger tobacco excise tax hikes than planned and has prepared a proposal that would raise the average price of a cigarette pack 150 per cent by 2015, the news agency Izvestia reported.

Previous plans to hike the excise tax per 1,000 cigarettes by RUB 800 (EUR 18.78) plus 8.5 per cent of retail price in 2014 and by RUB 960 plus 9 per cent were increased to RUB 1,200/10 per cent for 2014 and RUB 2,050/10 per cent in 2015, the news agency said.
Experts predict average cigarette pack prices would rise to RUB 68 from RUB 40 next year and to RUB 100 in 2015, Izvestia said.