Carlos Guzmán, vice president of Philip Morris Intermacional Andean Cluster, reported on the illicit cigarette trade reaching 72.4% in Ecuador and this is the result of structural factors such as the reforms implemented between 2015 and 2018 that led to the increase in product prices, leading people to seek a replacement of legal products with illegal ones. "69% of these products come from Asia." Only criminals win smuggling, he said, explaining that the government loses to public health policy and fiscal prosecutions. In the last 4 years, nearly $800 million has been lost for this item, and if the trend continues, an additional $200 million will be lost in cash in 2020. However, it acknowle... [Read more]