Illicit tobacco trade to cause $1b revenue loss
Illicit tobacco trade continues to impose a significant fiscal burden across Asia-Pacific, depriving governments of billions of dollars in potential revenue and weakening legitimate, tax-paying markets. According to the report "Illicit Tobacco Trade in Asia-Pacific: Taxation, Market Incentives, and Macroeconomic Costs," the illicit tobacco trade is estimated to result in $14.85 billion in annual revenue losses across the economies covered by the study. Pakistan alone accounts for approximately $1 billion in estimated annual fiscal leakage, placing the country among the most significantly impacted markets examined.