SPAIN Taxes on tobacco and alcohol went up on Saturday, and electricity rises by 1.2% as from tomorrow, July 1. A pack of cigarettes now costs an average of €0.15 more and all alcohol except wine and beer, is up by about 10%. The government argues that the price of tobacco and alcohol is among the lowest in the EU (they don't mention low wages or unemployment, though). The levy on tobacco will be most noticeable on roll-up tobacco, to which many smokers unable to give up the habit turned because it is cheaper than ready-made cigarettes. Some €400 million is expected to be raised by these increases by the end of the year, and some €700m in 2014. Electricity, on the other hand>>>
