Cigarettes will see prices increasing by MAD 1 to MAD 4 starting this Sunday after the government raised the tax applied to them in the 2023 Finance Law.
Thus, the prices of some high-priced cigarettes moved from MAD 35 to MAD 39 per pack (20 cigarettes), while the prices of some of the most used types increased by one dirham per pack, while the prices of other types did not change.
Tobacco companies that produce low-cost cigarettes have traditionally kept the price of their cigarettes low by using low-quality tobacco.
The Moroccan Administration of Customs and Indirect Taxes published new regulations in September for the administration of raw and produced tobacco, which will take effect in January 2024.
By adopting this new decree, the Moroccan tobacco industry will be brought into compliance with international standards.
The government has approved those measures, in a move to reduce tobacco consumption, mainly based on raising the tax applied on it gradually and progressively, as the tax increase will continue until 2026.
The government also seeks to raise the tax on cigarettes to move from MAD 100 for every 1,000 cigarettes to MAD 550 by the end of the current government term in 2026.
The Moroccan health authorities consider smoking a “public health problem,” as the percentage of adult smokers reached 18%, while 40% of the population is exposed to second-hand smoke in public places, according to official data issued by the Ministry of Health.
The prevalence of smoking among students of the age group between 13 and 15 reached 6%, according to the same source.
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