The Government plans to raise the excise duty for cigarettes by 300 per cent, from the present 0.05 pataca per stick to 0.20 pataca per stick.

Spokesperson for the Executive Council, Mr Tong Chi Kin, said today the Executive Council had discussed a draft-law on revising excise duty, which would raise excise duty for each kilogramme of tobacco from 20 patacas to 80 patacas and each kilogramme of cigar from 70 patacas to 280 patacas.

The hikes will come into effect should the Legislative Assembly passes the draft-law, which it would discuss it in an urgent procedure, said Mr Tong.

He said the excise duty for tobacco has remained at the current level for quite a long period and it was much lower than that of the neighbouring regions.

With growing concerns of the hazards of smoking, the local community had urged the authorities to control the number of smokers and raise the excise duty, Mr Tong said.