Interfax
November 13

The Uzbek-British joint venture British American Tobacco Uzbekistan (BAT Uzbekistan) produced 4.83 billion cigarettes in January-September, or 8.6% less than in the same period of 2002, according to official statistics.

A source in the BAT Uzbekistan leadership told Interfax that sales on the domestic market contracted 0.9% year-on-year to 4.74 billion cigarettes, while exports plummeted 72.7% to 131.65 million cigarettes.

BAT Uzbekistan is the tobacco-manufacturing monopoly in Uzbekistan, controlling 64.8% of the local market.

The source accounted the contraction in domestic sales to stiff competition from smuggled tobacco.

BAT Uzbekistan is also a major taxpayer. In 2002, it paid 33.5 billion sums (about $45 million) in taxes, fees and collections to Uzbekistan's state coffers.

The official exchange rate on November 12 was 975.91 sums/$1.

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