Odesa businessman Borys Kaufman, who owns the Russian-linked cigarette distributor Tedis, and tobacco giant Philip Morris International, which operates in Russia, have lobbied the Cabinet of Ministers to reduce the excise tax on e-cigarettes by 20%, reports the Telegram channel Trukha Ukraine.
According to media reports, Ukraine’s budget will lose UAH 15 billion from 2025 to 2028, and will lose UAH 5 billion annually thereafter. This money will go to Kaufman and Philip Morris, who almost completely control the e-cigarette market in Ukraine.
In the third year of the war, there is a catastrophic shortage of money, and the government has decided to give billions to Kaufman, who has many criminal cases, including the creation of a criminal organization in Odesa, the theft of the airport, and tax evasion. And the sponsor of Putin’s war, Philip Morris, which continues to increase its revenue in Russia.
Journalists are interested in who will be held accountable for this.