This year, perhaps for the first time in recent years, Ukraine has seen a significant decline in the illegal cigarette market. Since the beginning of the year, its volume has fallen from 25% to 18% at the beginning of summer.

This means that almost every fifth cigarette on the market is now sold without paying the money that the budget desperately needs. At the beginning of the year, a quarter of all cigarettes sold bypassed the state budget, which means a loss of tens of billions of hryvnias.

Criminals do not want to lose this money. They are extremely aggressive in their opposition to the state.

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tobacco markettobacco exciseexciseshadow economy