Research

Accelerating Progress on Effective Tobacco Tax Policies in Kosovo

Kosovo is a country with a high smoking prevalence. The Government of Kosovo has adopted tobacco control-related laws in line with the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) and the EU regulations and directives. However, there is a lack of implementation of the laws and monitoring mechanisms, and this is a systemic problem that needs to be addressed. The primary institutions in charge of tobacco-related policy making and implementation in Kosovo are the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance. The Ministry of Finance drafts policies and other regulations related to tobacco taxations, while the Ministry of Health focuses on policies with the aim of the public health protection from tobacco use.

The research conducted by the Center for Political Courage (CPC) confirms that revising the current taxation policy could bring numerous positive effects resulting from a reduction in tobacco consumption. CPC estimates that a 10% increase in the cigarette retail price – from an increased excise tax– shall be followed by a 6.9% decrease in consumption in the long run and 3.3% in the short run, while increasing excise revenues between 6.1% and 6.7%.

A corresponding Report can be found here.