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INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have identified pricing strategies that the tobacco industry employs to try to minimise the impact of tobacco taxation, but these studies are mostly about high-income countries. This research examines industry price responses to a recent cigarette tax increase in Mexico, including in the capsule cigarette segment that has expanded rapidly in Latin America. METHODS: Data of cigarette prices and sales in Mexico between October 2018 and September 2021 licensed from NielsenIQ were used following a quasi-experimental design to analyse price changes after excise tax increases with fixed effect models by product. To explore heterogeneous responses, estimates were disaggregated by cigarette attributes such as presence of capsules and market segment. Differential shifting was also assessed. RESULTS: Increasing the tobacco tax from 2011MX$0.35(≈US$0.02) to 2020 MX$0.4944(≈US$0.0283) in January 2020 was associated with an overall 8% cigarette price increase in real terms. However, some cigarette types, including premium to discount segments, exhibited price increases larger than the tax increase, which reduced the relative price of ultra-low-priced cigarettes. Instead of a single hike, prices were gradually raised throughout the first months of 2020 for all cigarette types. A combination of both pricing strategies was employed for capsule cigarettes. The 2021 smaller tax adjustment for annual inflation was fully passed onto consumer, maintaining real prices constant. CONCLUSIONS: The industry's ability to raise prices more than the tax increase and manage these price increases smoothly suggests that there was room for larger tobacco tax increases in Mexico. Future developments on tobacco taxes could consider a fully specific tax structure or minimum taxes to mitigate the adverse effects of market segmentation and differential shifting.

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Despite being the most cost-effective tobacco control policy, tobacco taxation is the least implemented component of the World Health Organization MPOWER package to reduce smoking worldwide. In Mexico, both smoking prevalence and taxation have remained stable for more than a decade. This study aims to provide evidence about the potential effects of taxation to reduce the burden of tobacco-related diseases and the main attributable social costs in Mexico, including informal (unpaid) care costs, which are frequently ignored. We employ a first-order Monte Carlo microsimulation model that follows hypothetical population cohorts considering the risks of an adverse health event and death. First, we estimate tobacco-attributable morbidity and mortality, direct medical costs and indirect costs, such as labour productivity losses and informal care costs. Then, we assess the potential effects of a 50% cigarette price increase through taxation and two alternative scenarios of 25% and 75%. The inputs come from several sources, including national surveys and vital statistics. Each year, 63 000 premature deaths and 427 000 disease events are attributable to tobacco in Mexico, while social costs amount to MX$194.6 billion (US$8.5)-MX$116.2 (US$5.1) direct medical costs and MX$78.5 (US$3.4) indirect costs-representing 0.8% of gross domestic product. Current tobacco tax revenue barely covers 23.3% of these costs. Increasing cigarette prices through taxation by 50% could reduce premature deaths by 49 000 over the next decade, while direct and indirect costs averted would amount to MX$87.9 billion (US$3.8) and MX$67.6 billion (US$2.9), respectively. The benefits would far outweigh any potential loss even in a pessimistic scenario of increased illicit trade. Tobacco use imposes high social costs on the Mexican population, but tobacco taxation is a win-win policy for both gaining population health and reducing tobacco societal costs.

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BACKGROUND: An important element to consider in tobacco tax policy is the illicit market of cigarette sales. The objective of this paper is to provide estimates of both conditional and unconditional price elasticities of cigarette consumption in the licit and illicit markets in Brazil. METHODOLOGY: Microdata from the National Health Survey in 2013 and 2019 are used to estimate conditional and unconditional price elasticities of cigarette consumption in the licit and illicit cigarette markets by income quartiles and age cohorts. The identification is based on brand information and the official minimum cigarette price defined by the government, as sales below this price are prohibited and illegal. FINDINGS: The results, robust to potential endogeneity, indicate that there is joint statistical difference in price elasticities across age cohorts and income groups by market type. However, individuals smoking illicit cigarettes, regardless of age cohort and income quartiles, are less sensitive to price changes than those consuming licit brands. CONCLUSIONS: The illicit cigarette market prevents the government from collecting tobacco tax revenues and weakens the social reach of price-oriented antismoking public policies. Fighting the illicit trade should be a major concern of public policies aiming at reducing cigarette consumption.

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We propose a new agent-based model for studying wealth distribution. We show that a model that links wealth to information (interaction and trade among agents) and to trade advantage is able to qualitatively reproduce real wealth distributions, as well as their evolution over time and equilibrium distributions. These distributions are shown in four scenarios, with two different taxation schemes where, in each scenario, only one of the taxation schemes is applied. In general, the evolving end state is one of extreme wealth concentration, which can be counteracted with an appropriate wealth-based tax. Taxation on annual income alone cannot prevent the evolution towards extreme wealth concentration.

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INTRODUCTION: Tobacco is one of the world's largest preventable causes of premature death, accounting for more than 8 million deaths and costing the global economy US$1.4 trillion each year. Smoking is a global problem with 1.3 billion people using tobacco worldwide, who will face harmful effects on health and on people's current and future financial situations and quality of life.This article aims to be the first study to generate evidence on the effects of smoking on household expenditure and the number of people living under the poverty threshold by studying the crowding out and impoverishing effect in Mexico. METHODS: Through econometric methods and maximising a household utility function we estimate the crowding out and impoverishing effect of tobacco consumption in México based on household's income and spending survey from 2020. RESULTS: Spending on tobacco crowds out household spending on other goods and services. In Mexico, spending on tobacco results in decreased spending on essential goods and services, like education and healthcare, and increased spending on harmful goods such as alcoholic beverages. These effects are common across all income levels but are more pronounced in low-income households. When spending on tobacco increases, for example, following regular price increases made by the tobacco industry, the crowding out effect is exacerbated.In addition, smoking has an impoverishing effect on the population. This is because some families find that their remaining income level falls below the poverty line after deducting money spent on tobacco (a concept known as secondary poverty). In Mexico, 909 132 people are left with a disposable income level below the extreme poverty line because of expenditure on tobacco and smoking-related diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking affects individual health and the finances of households in Mexico, particularly those of low-income people. By increasing tobacco taxes, those who quit smoking increase their quality of life and well-being. However, those who continue to smoke and increase their tobacco spending are affected by a shift in their spending on other goods and services.The increase in tobacco taxes must be accompanied by public policies that help reduce tobacco consumption and compensate the crowding out on goods and services relevant to the development of households.

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OBJECTIVE: To explore new evidence on illicit practices, such as selling legal brands below the minimum legal price (MLP), and smugglers selling illicit brands at or above the MLP. METHODS: For the first time in Brazil, self-reported information on cigarette brand name and price paid per pack in smokers' last purchase from a nationally representative survey conducted in 2019 was used to distinguish the illicit and the legal markets. We estimated the proportion of illicit cigarette consumption, using the combination of brand and price. RESULTS: The proportion of smuggled illicit cigarette consumption based on brands not approved on the Brazilian market was estimated at 38.6% (95% CI: 35.8% to 41.5%). When we added legal brands not paying taxes, it increased to 47.1% (95% CI: 44.2% to 49.9%). Around 25% of illicit brand cigarettes were sold at or above MLP. CONCLUSIONS: In Brazil, since 2017 there is a lack of adjustment in tobacco taxes and the MLP for inflation and income growth. The increase in cigarette affordability and the presence on the market of a segment of 'higher-priced' illicit brands suggest patterns of illicit brand loyalty and/or perceived 'brand quality' among smokers of illicit cigarettes. The evidence also shows that a sizeable proportion of legal brand cigarettes were sold below the MLP. This study offers insight into what happened in circumstances in which a government failed to keep current with tax policies and the monitoring of domestic manufacturing. Brazil has been a world leader in the monitoring of the tobacco epidemic, and this study also offers an innovative use of data that an increasing number of countries are collecting.

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RESUMEN Las empresas familiares tienen gran importancia social y económica en el mundo, ya que representan casi el 90 % de los negocios en diversas regiones, generan más de la mitad del empleo y producen más de dos terceras partes del Producto Interno Bruto en muchos países. Suelen basarse en su experiencia comercial y en el conocimiento de su clientela, pero deben contar con un plan de estrategias fiscales para asegurar su supervivencia, ya que se desarrollan en ambientes cada vez más competitivos e impredecibles. El objetivo de esta investigación fue mostrar la intención de uso de estrategias fiscales por las empresas de corte familiar en el municipio de El Mante, ubicado al sur de Tamaulipas, México, y su relación con el conocimiento empresarial, legal y directivo de sus propietarios. Se recogieron las respuestas obtenidas en entrevista directa con los propietarios o directores de negocios, utilizando un cuestionario con escalas de Likert validado y se aplicaron las pruebas estadísticas recomendadas. Se encontró suficiente dominio de los empresarios en los temas de administración del negocio familiar, normas y actores relacionados con el comercio, así como suficiente grado de acuerdo en la intención del uso de estrategias fiscales y planes de negocios, competencias que pueden acrecentarse laborando para la empresa familiar. El principal hallazgo es la evidencia de una débil correlación entre el conocimiento legal y directivo de los propietarios de empresas familiares con el uso de las estrategias fiscales, así como una muy débil correlación con el conocimiento empresarial. La intención de uso de estrategias fiscales requiere de tales conocimientos por parte de los empresarios, quienes toman decisiones considerando los intereses de la familia, estiman necesaria la planeación financiera y aprovechan la bondad de las estrategias fiscales.

ABSTRACT Family-owned businesses have paramount social and economic importance worldwide since they represent almost 90 % of businesses in various regions, generate more than half of the employment and produce more than two-thirds of the Gross Domestic Product in many countries. Decisions are based on their commercial experience and knowledge of their customer base. However, they must also employ a fiscal strategy to ensure their subsistence, since they face each more competitive and unpredictable environment. The objective of this research was to show the intention to use tax strategies by family businesses in the municipality of El Mante, located in Southern Tamaulipas, Mexico, and its relationship with the entrepreneurial, legal, and managerial knowledge of their owners. Responses were collected through a direct interview with the business owners or the CEO. Additionally, a questionnaire with validated Likert scales was used, and the recommended statistical tests were administered. Findings indicate that there is sufficient mastery of entrepreneurs in areas such as the management of the family business, regulations and actors related to trade, as well as a sufficient degree of agreement regarding the intention to use fiscal strategies and business plans, competencies that can be increased by working for the family business. The main finding is the evidence of a weak correlation between the legal and managerial knowledge of family business owners with the use of tax strategies, as well as a very weak correlation with entrepreneurial knowledge. The intention to use tax strategies requires such knowledge by business owners, who make decisions based on family's interests, consider financial planning as necessary and take advantage of the benevolence of tax strategies.

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OBJECTIVE: To investigate the tobacco-attributable burden on disease, medical costs, productivity losses and informal caregiving; and to estimate the health and economic gains that can be achieved if the main tobacco control measures (raising taxes on tobacco, plain packaging, advertising bans and smoke-free environments) are fully implemented in eight countries that encompass 80% of the Latin American population. DESIGN: Markov probabilistic microsimulation economic model of the natural history, costs and quality of life associated with the main tobacco-related diseases. Model inputs and data on labour productivity, informal caregivers' burden and interventions' effectiveness were obtained through literature review, surveys, civil registrations, vital statistics and hospital databases. Epidemiological and economic data from January to October 2020 were used to populate the model. FINDINGS: In these eight countries, smoking is responsible each year for 351 000 deaths, 2.25 million disease events, 12.2 million healthy years of life lost, US$22.8 billion in direct medical costs, US$16.2 billion in lost productivity and US$10.8 billion in caregiver costs. These economic losses represent 1.4% of countries' aggregated gross domestic products. The full implementation and enforcement of the four strategies: taxes, plain packaging, advertising bans and smoke-free environments would avert 271 000, 78 000, 71 000 and 39 000 deaths, respectively, in the next 10 years, and result in US$63.8, US$12.3, US$11.4 and US$5.7 billions in economic gains, respectively, on top of the benefits being achieved today by the current level of implementation of these measures. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking represents a substantial burden in Latin America. The full implementation of tobacco control measures could successfully avert deaths and disability, reduce healthcare spending and caregiver and productivity losses, likely resulting in large net economic benefits.

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OBJECTIVES: We analyse the employment effects of increasing tobacco taxation in Argentina by building a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model. METHODS: In line with recent changes in tobacco taxation in the country, the CGE model simulates an increase in excise tax on cigarettes. RESULTS: The results show that even a substantial increase in tobacco taxation induces a zero-net change in overall employment in the economy when the newly raised tax revenues are spent by the government on education, health or public infrastructure. Increased tobacco taxes may shift jobs from tobacco-related sectors to other sectors of the economy, but the overall impact on the total number of jobs is negligible. CONCLUSIONS: The widely documented positive effects of higher tobacco taxes (including a healthier population, more productive workers, savings from avoided costs of medical treatment for tobacco-related diseases, reductions in the number of new young smokers, among others) would far outweigh the nearly null effect of higher taxes on total net employment.

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Resumo A pesquisa teve por objetivo analisar a intervenção estatal implementada no setor esportivo paulista na década de 1930, especialmente o debate iniciado sobre a tributação fiscal dos clubes. As fontes abarcaram notícias da imprensa escrita e legislação específica. A intervenção teve início em 1931, com a criação do Departamento de Educação Física do Estado de São Paulo. Clubes e federações procuraram estreitar relações com gestores públicos e representantes políticos para negociar que a intervenção se repercutisse em benefícios financeiros, materiais e fiscais. Diferentes projetos de reforma tributária e administrativa foram discutidos e propostos nos anos seguintes, tendo os clubes alcançado êxito em parte de suas reivindicações durante o Estado Novo, quando foram promulgados dois decretos que conferiram isenção fiscal ao esporte amador paulista.

Abstract The research aimed to analyze the state intervention implemented in the São Paulo sports sector in the 1930s, especially the debate on fiscal taxation of clubs. The sources included written press and specific legislation. The intervention began in 1931, with the creation of the Physical Education Department of the State of São Paulo. Clubs and federations sought to strengthen relations with public managers and political representatives to negotiate that the intervention would be reflected in financial, material and fiscal benefits. Different tax and administrative reform projects were discussed and proposed in the following years, with the clubs achieving success in part of their claims during the Estado Novo, when two decrees were enacted that granted tax exemption to amateur sport in São Paulo.

Resumen La investigación tuvo como objetivo analizar la intervención estatal implementada en el sector deportivo de São Paulo en la década de 1930, especialmente el debate iniciado sobre la tributación fiscal de los clubes. Las fuentes incluyeron noticias de prensa escrita y legislación específica. La intervención comenzó en 1931, con la creación del Departamento de Educación Física del Estado de São Paulo. Clubes y federaciones buscaron estrechar relaciones con directivos públicos y representantes políticos para negociar que la intervención se tradujera en beneficios económicos, materiales y fiscales. Se discutieron y propusieron diferentes proyectos de reforma tributaria y administrativa en los años siguientes, logrando los clubes éxito en parte de sus reclamos durante el Estado Novo, cuando se promulgaron dos decretos que otorgaron exención fiscal al deporte amateur en São Paulo.

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BACKGROUND: Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption is associated with obesity and chronic disease. In 2018, Peru increased the tax on high-sugar beverages (≥6 g of sugar per 100 mL) from 17 to 25%, yet little is known about pre-existing beverage trends or demographic characteristics associated with purchases in the country. The aim of this study was to explore beverage purchasing trends from 2016 to 2017 and examine variation in purchase volume by sociodemographic characteristics among urban households in Peru. METHODS: This study used monthly household purchase data from a panel of 5145 households from January 2016-December 2017 from Kantar WorldPanel Peru. Beverage purchases were categorized by type and tax status under the 2018 regulation (untaxed, lower-sugar taxed, high-sugar taxed). To assess beverage purchasing trends, per-capita volume purchases were regressed on a linear time trend, with month dummies for seasonality and clustered standard errors. Mean volume purchases by beverage tax status (total liters purchased per month), overall and by key demographic characteristics (education, socioeconomic status, and geographic region), were calculated. Mean volume by beverage type was assessed to identify the largest contributors to total beverage volume. RESULTS: The trends analysis showed a decline in total beverage volume of - 52 mL/capita/month (95% CI: - 72, - 32) during the 24-month study period. Over 99% of households purchased untaxed beverages in a month, while > 92% purchased high-sugar taxed beverages. Less than half of all households purchased low-sugar taxed beverages in a month and purchase volume was low (0.3 L/capita/month). Untaxed beverage purchases averaged 9.4 L/capita/month, while households purchased 2.8 L/capita/month of high-sugar taxed beverages in 2017. Across tax categories, volume purchases were largest in the high education and high socioeconomic (SES) groups, with substantial variation by geographic region. The highest volume taxed beverage was soda (2.3 L/capita/month), while the highest volume untaxed beverages were milk and bottled water (1.9 and 1.7 L/capita/month, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Nearly all households purchased high-sugar taxed beverages, although volume purchases of taxed and untaxed beverages declined slightly from 2016 to 2017. Households with high SES and high education purchased the highest volume of taxed beverages, highlighting the need to consider possible differential impacts of the tax policy change by sub-population groups.

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Objective: Estimate economic and health benefits, by sex and income quintile, of tax-based cigarette price increases in Mexico. Methods: An extended cost-effectiveness analysis (ECEA) model was used to estimate distributional benefits for women and men in the scenario of a 44% increase in the price of cigarettes (from 56.4 Mexican pesos [MX$] to MX$81.2 per pack), as a result of tripling the current specific excise tax (from MX$0.49/cigarette to MX$1.49/cigarette). The model was calibrated with official national information sources. Results: With a tax increase of one peso per cigarette, about 1.5 million smokers would quit (351 300 women and 1.1 million men). This would prevent approximately 630 000 smoking-attributable premature deaths. Reducing the burden of disease would save the health sector close to MX$42.8 billion and prevent more than 250 000 people (including 50 200 women smokers) from falling into poverty. It would also result in an additional MX$16.2 billion in revenue per year, of which the lowest income quintile would contribute less than 3% (1% for low-income women). Conclusions: The tobacco epidemic has clearly differentiated patterns between women and men, reflecting a gender component. While the tobacco tax in Mexico would have great benefits with respect to the current state of the epidemic, this could also contribute to the broader goal of social justice by reducing gender inequities.

Objetivo: Estimar os benefícios econômicos e de saúde, por sexo e quintil de renda, do aumento dos preços dos cigarros por meio de impostos no México. Métodos: Com um modelo de análise ampliada de custo-efetividade (ECEA, na sigla em inglês), foram estimados os benefícios distributivos em mulheres e homens com um cenário de aumento de 44% no preço dos cigarros (de 56,4 pesos mexicanos [MX$] para MX$ 81,2 por maço), como resultado da triplicação do imposto específico atual (de MX$ 0,49/cigarro para MX$ 1,49/cigarro). O modelo foi calibrado com fontes oficiais de informação nacional. Resultados: Com o aumento do imposto de um MX$ por cigarro, cerca de 1,5 milhão de fumantes abandonariam o consumo (351.300 mulheres e 1,1 milhão de homens). Assim, seriam evitadas aproximadamente 630.000 mortes prematuras atribuíveis ao tabaco. A redução da carga de doenças permitiria uma economia para o setor da saúde de cerca de MX$ 42,8 bilhões e evitaria que mais de 250.000 pessoas (incluindo 50.200 mulheres fumantes) caíssem na pobreza. Além disso, seriam arrecadados MX$ 16,2 bilhões adicionais por ano, dos quais o quintil mais baixo contribuiria com menos de 3% (1% no caso de mulheres de baixa renda). Conclusões: A epidemia de tabagismo tem padrões claramente diferenciados entre mulheres e homens e reflete um componente de gênero. Embora os benefícios do imposto sobre o tabaco no México tenham importância relativa no atual estado da epidemia em cada caso, poderiam contribuir para um objetivo mais amplo de justiça social ao reduzir as desigualdades de gênero.

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The study aims to assess the implementation of tobacco control policies in Mexico from 2003 through 2017 using the Tobacco Control Scale (TCS). The TCS is a research tool widely used in the European region. It facilitates assessment of tobacco control policy implementation based on six cost-effective interventions: tobacco taxes, smoke-free policies, advertising bans, public spending on the information campaign, health warnings, and smoking cessation treatment, reflecting results in a total score between 0 and 100. From 2003 through 2017, Mexico's total score improved from 24/100 to 55/100, with substantial progress in raising tobacco taxes, 11 subnational smoke-free laws, and with placement on cigarette packs of large health warnings with pictograms. Progress in tobacco control policies implemented in this period corresponds with a decrease in smoking prevalence across Mexico. This tool is useful for monitoring tobacco policy implementation in low- and middle-income countries and be used for advocacy purposes to enforce and improve tobacco control legislation.

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Inheritance represents a conflict between the individual and society. On one hand, the intergenerational transmission of resources favors the reproduction of privilege. On the other hand, contemporary individualization processes prioritize individual achievement. This paper addresses this conflict through a sociological approach by analyzing perceptions of inheritance taxation based on 32 in-depth interviews with members of the economic elite in Chile. Findings show that the principle of individual freedom in decisions regarding resource use prevails over the redistributive function that controls inheritance and favors personal attainment. In addition, a negative view of inheritance prevails, which is sustained by three major repertoires of evaluation emphasizing its inefficiency, ineffectiveness, economic inconvenience, and lack of foundation, as its purpose or utility is unknown. This last argument is surprising because it does not reject this tax for its design or application; rather, it confronts some crucial ideas with which it is usually linked, namely opportunity levelling at the beginning of a new generation and redistribution of privilege.

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BACKGROUND: Paraguay is a major supplier of illicit cigarettes for the Latin American region and beyond. In July 2022, Paraguay ratified the FCTC Protocol. This is an opportunity and a challenge for neighboring countries to implement coordinated actions. This is the first analysis of the foreign trade data for cigarettes and their inputs using Paraguayan data to contextualise the illicit trade problem in Latin America and globally. METHODS: Combining publicly available Paraguayan databases, this research constructs a database to analyse imported cigarette inputs, particularly by identifying the companies and their national origins. RESULTS: A complex multinational supply chain perpetuates a flow of inputs into Paraguay that contributes to the production and export of illicit tobacco products. Brazil is a relevant legal supplier of intermediate goods for the Paraguayan tobacco industry yet is not a significant destination of the legal exports of cigarettes produced in Paraguay. Yet, Paraguayan cigarettes are widely available in the Brazilian market, almost all of them illicit. Trade data also show the role of other countries in the region as major cigarette input exporters to Paraguay. Evidence also supports that high volumes of legal exports from Paraguay to third countries (including Bolivia, Suriname, Aruba and Curacao) may be fuelling illicit trade through triangulation to other countries. CONCLUSIONS: The oversupply-that is, more supply than necessary for domestic consumption and legal exports-of cigarette inputs likely divert illegally back to the countries exporting these inputs and others. Thus, the responsibility for illicit trade in cigarettes falls not only on Paraguayan companies but also on companies exporting inputs to Paraguay to producing these illicit goods. Furthermore, Paraguay is not only exporting illicitly directly to Brazil and Argentina, but also appears to oversupply other countries in South America and the Caribbean that cannot legally absorb this trade through domestic consumption and/or legal re-export.

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RESUMEN La investigación corresponde al análisis de las finanzas públicas, especificamente al Situado Fiscal Territorial Municipal (SFTM) del municipio de Santiago de Cali, Colombia, en las comunas 21 (estrato socioeconómico bajo-bajo), 10 (estrato socioeconómico medio-medio) y 22 (estrato socioeconómico alto-alto), durante el periodo 2012-2015, en las cuales se realizo una inversion por parte del municipio, en aras de satisfacer las necesidades de la población y mejorar la calidad de vida de las personas. Para la realización del análisis se utilizaron como herramientas los Planes de Desarrollo de Comunas y Corregimientos, los Planes Operativos Anuales de Inversion (POAI) y el presupuesto ejecutado del SFTM, comparando la inversion per cápita de las problemáticas intervenidas entre las comunas estudiadas. Como resultado de este análisis se identificaron fallas en la asignación y ejecución de los recursos, dado que no se priorizaron problemáticas sensibles para las comunas 21 y 10, como lo son la seguridad, la capacitacion para el trabajo, la atencion a los adultos mayores y la participacion política de las organizaciones sociales, las cuales se consideran importantes para el desarrollo economico y social de las comunas menos favorecidas.

ABSTRACT The research presented below corresponds to the analysis of public finances, specifically the Municipal Territorial Tax Site (SFTM), of the municipality of Santiago de Cali, Colombia, in the communes 21 [low-low socioeconomic status], 10 [middle socioeconomic status] and 22 [high-high socioeconomic status], during the period 2012-2015, in which an investment was made by the municipality in order to satisfy the needs of the population and improve people's quality of life. To carry out the analysis, the Development Plans of Communes and Townships, the Annual Operational Investment Plans (POAI) and the executed budget of the SFTM were used as tolos, comparing the per capita investment of the intervened problems between the studied communes. As a result of this analysis, failures in the allocation and execution of resources were identified, since sensitive problems were not prioritized for communes 21 and 10, such as security, job training, care for the elderly and the political participation of social organizations, which are considered important for the economic and social development of the less favored communes.

RESUMO A investigação corresponde à análise das finanças públicas, especificamente o Situado Fiscal Territorial Municipal (SFTM) do município de Santiago de Cali, Colômbia, nas comunas 21 (estrato socioeconomico baixo), 10 (estrato socioeconomico médio médio) e 22 (estrato socioeconomico alto), durante o período 2012-2015, no qual foi feito um investimento pelo município, a fim de satisfazer as necessidades da população e melhorar a qualidade de vida da população. Os instrumentos utilizados para a análise foram os Planos de Desenvolvimento das Comunas e Corregimentos, os Planos Anuais de Investimento Operacional (POAI) e o orçamento executado do SFTM, comparando o investimento per capita dos problemas intervencionados entre as comunas estudadas. Como resultado desta análise, foram identificadas falhas na atribuição e execução de recursos, dado que não foi dada prioridade a questões sensíveis para as comunas 21 e 10, tais como segurança, formação profissional, atenção aos idosos e participação política das organizações sociais, que são consideradas importantes para o desenvolvimento economico e social das comunas menos favorecidas.

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INTRODUCTION: Taxes on tobacco products are an efficient way of reducing consumption. However, they are only effective if passed on to consumers with higher prices. This study aims to examine tobacco industry (TI) pricing strategies in response to tax increases, and whether they differ by price segments or presentation (packs or individual sticks) in Colombia. This is the first such academic study in Latin America and the first anywhere to include the market for single sticks. METHODS: Using data on cigarette pricing/taxation from a survey of smokers (2016-2017) and official government data on pricing (2007-2019), the TI's pricing strategies were examined, split by brand, price segments, different sized packs and single cigarettes. RESULTS: The TI employed targeted pricing strategies in Colombia: differentially shifting taxes; and launching new brands/brand variants. The industry overshifted taxes when increases were smaller and predictable, but used undershifting more when there was a larger increase in 2017, after which it mostly overshifted on budget and premium (but undershifted mid-priced) brands. The prices for single sticks increased more than the tax increase in 2017 when their consumption also increased. CONCLUSION: The pricing strategies identified suggest excise taxes can be increased further, particularly the specific component, to reduce the price gap between brand segments. Brands should be restricted to a single variant along with prohibitions on launching new brands/brand variants. Lastly, since the pricing of single sticks does not match the pattern of packs, more monitoring of their sales and distribution is required, especially since they promote consumption and hinder effective implementation of tobacco tax policies.

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BACKGROUND: Illicit trade in tobacco products is a menace to the goal of eliminating tobacco consumption. Although tax policy is very effective in reducing consumption, illicit trade can reduce (though not eliminate) its effectiveness. METHODS: This article discusses the recent evolution of illicit trade and the context in which it occurred; the new methods that have been developed to measure it and, finally, the challenges in the next phase in the control of illicit trade. RESULTS: There has been a remarkable stability in the penetration of cigarette illicit trade in the past decade. Such a stability, however, occurred in a world of shrinking tobacco consumption, implying a decreasing absolute illicit trade. Most countries have progressed in increasing tobacco taxes and changing tax structures. Prices of illicit cigarettes follow legal cigarette prices. Concomitantly, many new studies, independent from the tobacco industry, have been conducted allowing for better understanding of the illicit trade and providing inputs to its solution. The entry into force of the WHO FCTC Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products provides both a global and a national policy framework to further curb illicit trade. Instruments such as track-and-trace systems must be promoted and adopted to maximise reductions in illicit trade. CONCLUSIONS: Global efforts to curb the illicit trade in tobacco products are gaining momentum and progress has been made in many parts of the world. The next decade can witness a decisive decrease in tobacco consumption, both licit and illicit, if countries further engage in international collaboration.

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Abstract The relation between taxation and partisanship is a widely studied topic in Political Science. However, previous works have provided conflicting findings without clarifying which parties are most prone to progressive taxation. These studies also did not consider one distinctive feature of Latin American politics: coalition governments. Using the level of direct tax collection as a proxy for progressive taxation and panel data of Latin American countries since 1990, we investigate how progressive taxes vary across a scale of ideology observed in the executive branch along with the ideological heterogeneity of its coalition. The results show that ideologically heterogeneous governments present a policy drift, as the policies being enacted depart from parties' original preferences. Homogeneous left-wing governments collect more direct taxes than ideologically heterogeneous coalitions led by governments with the same ideology. The same dynamic is observed with homogeneous right-wing governments, which collect more indirect taxes in ideologically homogeneous coalitions. These results create new paths of research highlighting the need to include the government's composition in the analysis to understand policy design and the need to unravel the mechanism through which policy drift occurs in ideologically heterogeneous governments.

Resumen La relación entre tributación y partidismo es un tema ampliamente estudiado en Ciencias Políticas. Sin embargo, trabajos previos han proporcionado hallazgos contradictorios sin aclarar qué partes son más propensas a la tributación progresiva. Estos estudios tampoco consideraron una característica distintiva de la política latinoamericana: los gobiernos de coalición. Utilizando el nivel de recaudación de impuestos directos como indicador de la tributación progresiva y datos de panel de los países de América Latina desde 1990, investigamos cómo varían los impuestos progresivos a lo largo de una escala de ideología observada en el poder ejecutivo junto con la heterogeneidad ideológica de su coalición. Los resultados muestran que los gobiernos ideológicamente heterogéneos presentan un policy drift, ya que las políticas que se promulgan se apartan de las preferencias originales de los partidos. Los gobiernos homogéneos de izquierda recaudan más impuestos directos que las coaliciones ideológicamente heterogéneas lideradas por gobiernos con la misma ideología. La misma dinámica se observa con gobiernos homogéneos de derecha, que recaudan más impuestos indirectos en coaliciones ideológicamente homogéneas. Estos resultados crean nuevos caminos de investigación que destacan la necesidad de incluir la composición del gobierno en el análisis para comprender el diseño de políticas y la necesidad de desentrañar el mecanismo a través del cual se produce policy drift de políticas en gobiernos ideológicamente heterogéneos.

Resumo A relação entre tributação e partidarismo é amplamente estudada na Ciência Política. Entretanto, trabalhos anteriores não só apresentaram resultados contraditórios - sem esclarecer quais partidos são mais propensos a instituir tributos progressivos - como nenhum considerou um elemento particular da política latino-americana: os governos de coalizão. Usando o nível de arrecadação com tributos diretos como uma proxy para tributação progressiva e adotando um banco de dados em painel, investiga-se a receita com tributos progressivos considerando uma escala da ideologia da liderança executiva e a heterogeneidade ideológica da coalizão que forma o governo. Os resultados indicam que governos ideologicamente heterogêneos apresentam policy drift, já que as políticas sendo implementadas se distanciam das preferências originais da liderança executiva. Governos homogêneos de esquerda têm receitas maiores com tributos diretos do que governos formados a partir de coalizão ideologicamente heterogênea sob as mesmas lideranças. A mesma dinâmica ocorre com governos homogêneos de direita, que têm receitas maiores com tributos indiretos. Os resultados indicam novos caminhos para pesquisa, destacando a necessidade de se incorporar a composição de um governo à análise de políticas públicas, como a importância de se compreender o mecanismo pelo qual policy drift ocorre em governos ideologicamente heterogêneos.

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RESUMO

Increasing tobacco taxes is considered the most effective an cost-effective policy to reduce tobacco consumption. However, a common objection to tobacco taxes is that they tend to rely disproportionately on the poorest individuals since less affluent smokers incur proportionately greater expenditures on cigarettes compared with more affluent smokers. Such objections usually assume that all smokers throughout the income distribution react similarly to an increase in tobacco prices. But, if less affluent smokers are more sensitive to price changes (ie, they have a higher demand price elasticity), reductions in tobacco consumption should be higher at the bottom of the income distribution. This paper uses data from Argentina's Household Expenditure Survey to estimate demand price elasticities for tobacco by income and age groups. Results indicate that less affluent smokers present higher demand price elasticities for cigarettes than more affluent ones. A 10% increase in cigarette prices would decrease consumption by 8.5% (4.4%) for the poorest (richest) smokers. In addition, young people are the most elastic group. These differential elasticities have relevant implications in terms of the distributional incidence of increasing tobacco taxes. As less well-off individuals reduce consumption relatively more, they bear a relatively lower tax burden. Thus, tobacco tax increases may not be regressive as is often believed. As a whole, this paper provides policymakers with relevant arguments for policy discussion and the public debate on common objections to increasing tobacco taxes.

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