Ukrainian smokers have to find a replacement for the usual brands of cigarettes. After the State fiscal service seized at the airport “Borispol” smuggled consignment of cigarettes on 15 million UAH, and prosecutors during checks have blocked work of Ukrainian distributor of tobacco products TEDIS, Ukraine has a deficit of cigarettes. And every day he is growing, and the list of scarce items – widening, experts say, writes UBR.
Some experts do not exclude that the current situation is part of the redistribution of the tobacco market, which in Ukraine is estimated at 30 – 50 billion UAH. The daily turnover of the sector reaches 100 million UAH. And it is not excluded that in the place of the company’s monopoly has decided to compete a few firms. Now, the tobacco distribution is concentrated in the same hands, so the commonplace no one to ship the product.
Disruptions in the company TEDIS greatly influenced the work of the tobacco companies and the industry as a whole, experts say.
According to the Director of the division of corporate Affairs and communication of JTI Alexander Kohut, at the moment the implementation of their products from the warehouses of the distributor to the retailers difficult.
“This will lead to the shortage of products at the point of sale and create difficulties for consumers. The lack of full realization of the provoked problems with the payment for the products of our production. As a result, under the threat turned out to be our contributions to the state budget from payment of excise and other taxes,” said Kohut.
Tobacco stocks
As told UBR.ua CEO of the Association of retailers of Ukraine Maryna Chernenko, there is a lack of first cigarette mean (Chesterfield, Winston, Rothmans, Marlboro) and lower (Ukrainian brand) price segments of popular brands.
Thus, according to the Director of the Ukrainian Association of trade networks suppliers Oleksiy Doroshenko, the problem may be and buying more expensive cigarettes.
“Blocked shipments of more expensive segment. Cigarettes to 25 UAH per pack can still be found on store shelves. Basically, they are still there where I used to buy them little. The same filling can now earn not bad on the deficit,” — said Doroshenko.
The hype only adds to the deficit.
Expensive cigarettes that are hard to find in Kyiv kiosks and supermarkets, for example, Parliament, abundant there in the village shops. And some of the capital’s smokers to learn about it, already reached for the stocks in coming to the city grocery store.
Many smokers, after learning about a possible shortage of tobacco, have rushed to buy cigarettes in entire blocks. However, some have not particularly look at the brand take that is. Excitement, as always happens, only adds to the deficit. Some experts believe that in the Wake of shortage of sellers can raise the price of cigarettes. This is especially true of trading at metro grandmothers who are always very sensitive to pricing.
“The lack of cigarettes is artificial. He deliberately accelerates manufacturers of tobacco through the mass media. Through panic rumors in the media a lot of smokers started buying cigarettes with a stock and that created the problem. Not surprisingly, if you start a speculation,” — said the head of sector of control over tobacco of the Ukrainian Institute of strategic researches Ministry of health of Ukraine Konstantin Krasovsky.
How long will the deficit depends mainly on the development of the conflict between the TEDIS and security forces. Yourself tobacco companies are feverishly searching for a way that would allow them to provide an uninterrupted supply of products retail.
According to Doroshenko, to overcome the shortage will help direct contracts with retail chains and manufacturers. Such negotiations, does not exclude the expert now being.
“I think, before the may holidays, or after them, a steady supply must be restored. The first is more likely, as it would be logical to go for the weekend with starinnyi warehouses,” — said Doroshenko.
We will remind, before mass media reported that the leadership of AMCU was suspected of receiving bribes from the “Tedis”.
As reported, in late March, the security forces exposed the scheme particularly major tax evasion and illegal transfer of billions of hryvnia from Ukraine through the company “Tedis”. Including the company is accused of financing terrorism. However, TEDIS Ukraine denies all allegations of the Prosecutor General, the company has already sought the protection of the President of Petro Poroshenko and interior Minister Arsen Avakov.
In addition, law enforcement officers raided the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukrainerelated to the tobacco distributor.
Also it became known about arrest of corporate rights and Bank accounts of the company “Tedis-Ukraine”in PrivatBank.
“Tedis-Ukraine” (earlier “Metropolis”) – a distributor of tobacco products in Ukraine. The company is in the TOP 20 largest in Ukraine and full control of the market distribution of tobacco products. For many years the company has collaborated with international manufacturers of tobacco products: JapanTobacco International, Philip Morris International, Imperial Tobacco Group, British American Tobacco, as well as with suppliers of lighters FireTime and Ringo Ltd. In 2014 and 2015, 100% made in Ukraine cigarettes were implemented “Tedis”.
In December 2016, the AMCU has fined the “Tedis” 431 million UAH for abuse of monopoly – the claim was to the pricing. In addition, according to AMC, “Tedis” partially refused to sell the product in the absence of alternative sellers.
