The new year brings new taxes for smokers in Morocco, as cigarette prices will increase from MAD 2 (USD 0.21) upwards, Morocco World News reported.

The Moroccan Administration of Customs and Indirect Taxes (ADII) has published the list of new cigarette prices. The updated list shows that the price increases for cigarettes mainly affect the low-priced cigarette brands. The price increases affect roll-your-own tobacco, molasses used in hookahs, and cigars. The price increase will be MAD 2 for some brands and higher for others.
The price increases for cigarettes follow meetings of the Commission for the Approval of Prices of Manufactured Tobacco Products, attached to the Ministry of Finance, which took place on 14 and 15 December. The commission confirmed the prices of tobacco products that will take effect from 1 January 2021.
The Moroccan government recently announced plans to change the current tobacco tax regime as part of the national finance bill for 2022. The tax change would provide additional revenue to the government while reducing the price difference between low-cost and premium cigarettes, the report said.
Between 2022 to 2026, the government plans a progressive tax rate that would gradually increase the amount of tax paid by cigarette consumers. Tobacco retailers would thus have to collect a minimum amount of MAD 710.2 (USD 78.59) per 1,000 cigarettes from 2022, rising to MAD 953 (USD 105.46) by 2026.