Polish MPs endorse plan to hike tax on alcohol, cigarettes

Polish lawmakers have backed a plan by the country’s governing conservatives to increase excise tax on alcohol and tobacco products by 10 percent.

The lower house of Poland's parliament, the Sejm, is in session on Thursday evening.

Photo: PAP/Leszek Szymański

The measure passed in a 243-201 vote with seven abstentions in the lower house of parliament late on Thursday, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.

The legislation now goes to the Senate, the upper house of Poland's parliament, for further debate.

The move, initiated by the Polish government last week, is expected to generate an extra PLN 1.7 billion (EUR 400 million, USD 440 million) for state coffers next year.

If approved by both houses of parliament and signed into law by the president, the new rules are expected to take effect on January 1.

(gs/pk)

Source: IAR