Tobacco profits robust

Last year was a highly profitable one for tobacco companies in Morocco because cigarette sales rose steeply, according to a story in Morocco World News.

Figures from the Administration of Customs and Indirect Taxes (ADII) indicate that Moroccans consumed 13.8 billion cigarettes in 2016, 1.2 billion more than in 2015.

This more-than nine percent rise in sales is said to be down to two main factors, one of which has seen an increase in the number of smokers.

But it is said to be down also to measures the state has put into combatting the illegal trade.

A survey conducted by the ADII shows that while the illegal trade accounted for 14.02 percent of the Moroccan market in 2014, that figure fell to 12.48 percent in 2015 and to 7.46 percent in 2016.

According to official data, there are about seven million smokers in Morocco, including 500,000 minors.