After maintaining its retail prices unchanged in March, Philip Morris CR will raise the prices for its major cigarette brands produced on April 1 and/or later by CZK 4 per pack: Petra to CZK 44 (EUR 1.33), Malboro to CZK 57 (EUR 1.73). This has been largely expected, as the price increase partially reflects the excise tax hike in the Czech Republic effective from January 1, 2004. The next excise-tax and retail-price increase is expected at the beginning of 2005 (and then every year until 2008).
Jan Hájek, Patria Finance