According to local media report, on July 1, 1997 Kuwait raised customs levies on tobacco products to 70 per cent from 50 per cent

Kuwait reportedly planned to double custom taxes at the start of the fiscal yearon July 1997. The cabinet instead decided to go along with last year’s recommendation from the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (AGCC) to raise duties on tobacco products to 70 per cent. The Kuwaiti parliament passed a law in 1995 that bans smoking in public places, advertising for tobacco products, and the sale of cigarettes to people under 21. However, enforcement has been lax. The AGCC group includes Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman.