E-cigarette tax hike abandoned—for now

The Italian government has abandoned a proposed tax hike on electronic cigarettes after fierce opposition from shop owners and consumers, according to a story in The Local Europe, quoting La Stampa.

Campaigners successfully argued that the 58.5 percent increase would have threatened about 5,000 jobs and the 2,000 electronic cigarette shops that have opened in recent years.

The government had planned to use the €35 million tax-hike revenue to avoid cutting prison jobs.

The National Association of Electronic Smoking (Anafe) welcomed the news, though it warned that the tax might be introduced at a later date.

“We will continue to protest,” said Anafe President Massimiliano Mancini in statement. “This tax is unjust and unbalanced and we ask the government to look at possible alternatives that allow it to make up the necessary revenue.”

“The alternative is the death of a sector that was growing,” he added.