煙草在線據ABS-CBNnews.com報道編譯　　煙草巨頭菲莫公司正計劃在菲律賓國內市場推出低價萬寶路卷煙，以阻止自己的市場份額不斷下滑的發(fā)展趨勢。

　　由陳永栽控制的菲莫福川煙草公司給菲律賓稅務局寫了一封信，請求獲得許可，將原味萬寶路、金色淡味萬寶路、薄荷萬寶路和黑薄荷萬寶路注冊為低價類產品。

　　如果菲律賓稅務局給予批準的話，萬寶路卷煙的售價會更便宜，而且將與菲莫福川煙草公司所擁有的冠軍、財富和Jackpot等其他低價品牌進行競爭。

　　菲莫福川公司的總裁Paul Riley說，菲莫福川煙草公司將繼續(xù)將原味萬寶路保持在名優(yōu)類產品中，而公司的旗艦品牌菲利普莫里斯，則不會在低價類產品中生產。

　　菲律賓新消費稅法規(guī)定，從2013年至2016年，菲律賓稅務局對卷煙按低價煙稅率和名優(yōu)類卷煙稅率征稅。

　　到2017年，則按每包30比索的單一稅率征稅。

　　Paul Riley說，菲莫福川煙草公司的產量從2012年的920億支下降到了2013年的680億支。到2014年，該公司產量可能還會進一步下降至480億支。

　　Paul Riley說：“這就是我們必須采取一些措施來扭轉這種發(fā)展趨勢的原因。更讓人擔心的是，我們預計這種下降趨勢會繼續(xù)下去，萬寶路的銷量在2014年則進一步減少至79億支?！?/p>

　　Paul Riley說，卷煙產量與銷量的減少，是因為消費者轉向低價位卷煙的緣故。

　　《罪惡稅法》的執(zhí)行，使得菲律賓人所擁有的Mighty公司和英美煙草公司因卷煙消費轉向更便宜的品牌而獲得發(fā)展動力。

　　業(yè)內的估計顯示，自《罪惡稅法》從2012年開始生效以來，有25%吸食名優(yōu)和亞名優(yōu)類產品的吸煙者已經轉向每支1比索的卷煙品牌。

　　Paul Riley說：“為阻止這種可怕的發(fā)展趨勢，公司愿意大幅壓縮自己的利潤，推出凈零售價格低于每包11.5比索的新款萬寶路產品?！?/p>

　　他補充說，“公司希望，在2014年的時候，能夠使銷量額外增加89億支，這也有助于稅務局收取更多的卷煙稅。”

評論：

　　菲莫福川要求推出低價產品來爭奪市場，表明市場競爭進入白熱化狀態(tài)。低價競爭，的確可以奪回一部分市場份額，不過，要確保在提供低價產品的時候不要大幅降低質量，否則會使消費者拋棄這個品牌，則得不償失了。此外，一旦各個煙草公司都加入價格戰(zhàn)中，最終會是“鷸蚌相爭漁翁得利”，煙草公司損失利潤，政府損失稅收，得利的是消費者，消費者會因為低價的產品容易買到而多消費煙草產品，這又與政府提高煙草稅收以減少煙草消費的政策目的相背離。因此，這樣的價格戰(zhàn)打不得！

Philip Morris Eyes Selling Cheaper Marlboro Cigarettes

　　Tobacco giant Philip Morris is planning to introduce low-priced Marlboro cigarettes in the domestic market, in an effort to stem its declining market share.

　　The Lucio Tan-controlled Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corporation (PMFTC) wrote a letter to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), seeking a permit to register Marlboro Original, Marlboro Gold Lights, Marlboro Menthol, and Marlboro Black Menthol in the low-price category.

　　If the BIR grants the permit, Marlboro cigarettes will be sold cheaper and will compete against Champion, Fortune and Jackpot, other low-priced brands also owned by PMFTC.

　　PMFTC president Paul Riley said PMFTC will still maintain original Marlboro products in the premium category and its flagship brand, Philip Morris, will not be produced in the low-price category.

　　The new excise tax law states that the BIR should implement low and premium tax rates for cigarettes from 2013 to 2016.

　　By 2017, a single rate of P30 per pack will be implemented.

　　Riley said PMFTC's production volume dropped from 92 billion sticks in 2012 to 68 billion in 2013. By 2014, volume may go down further at 48 billion sticks.

　　"This is why we need to do something to reverse the current trend. What is more worrying, we expect the down-trading to continue, with the Marlboro volume further decreasing to 7.9 billion sticks in 2014," Riley said.

　　Riley said the decrease in production and sales was due to the shift to lower-priced cigarettes.

　　The implementation of the Sin Tax Law has allowed Filipino-owned brand Mighty Corp. and British American Tobacco to gain momentum as cigarette consumption shifted to the cheaper brands.

　　Industry estimates showed that 25 percent of premium and sub-premium smokers have switched to the P1 per stick brands since the law took effect in 2012.

　　"To prevent this dire development, the company is willing to significantly cut its margins by introducing new Marlboro products with Net Retail Selling Prices (NRSPs) of below P11.50/pack," Riley said.

　　"The company is hoping to get an additional volume of 8.9 billion sticks in 2014 which, in turn, can help the BIR collect more revenues from cigarettes," he added. Enditem