Effective as of March 1, 2011, Philip Morris Operations a.d. (PMOP) will increase the retail prices of some cigarettes from its portfolio.

This decision represents the next step in PMOP’s effort to cope with steep excise tax increase that was suddenly introduced in January 2011, when PMOP’s pricing decision implied partial absorption of the tax increase with considerable cost to the business.

“Since Serbia needs to continue its approximation to EU tax criteria employing strategically targeted increases of cigarette excise tax going forward, PMOP is supportive of adoption of a long term and transparent tax plan that would reestablish certainty and predictability to all market players, consumers and the State” said Jelena Pavlovic, Director Corporate Affairs.