ISLAMABAD, June 15: Smokers throughout the country are expected to contribute around Rs80 billion to the national exchequer in the upcoming fiscal year 2013-14, as the sale of cigarettes and tobacco is expected to become a key revenue earner.

Budget documents show that during the upcoming fiscal year, the duty on cigarettes and tobacco has been set at Rs79.931 billion.

Almost 45.674 billion cigarette sticks had been manufactured in the country during the first nine months of the fiscal year 2011-12, and estimates put the figure at 49.247 billion for the same period of 2012-13.

The increase in smoking (especially among the frustrated youth) and the marked increase in federal excise duty each year on the sale of cigarettes help the government generate additional resources.

Cigarettes and tobacco sales were supposed to generate Rs56.692 billion in the outgoing fiscal year 2012-13, but according to the revised estimates, duty collection from cigarette sales may reach Rs62.768 billion by June 30, 2013. Therefore, the target set for the next fiscal has been fixed at Rs.79.931 billion.

The targets set for other items for the fiscal years 2012-13 and 2013-14, along with the estimated duty collection in the outgoing fiscal year 2012-13 (till June 30, 2013), is provided in the table.