KYIV, Sept 5 - The medium-term strategy (8-10 years) of increasing the specific rate of excise tax on tobacco products by 20% per year should be developed by the government to comply with European rates, JTI Ukraine CEO Viktor Veklych said.

"Within the framework of this discussion [on raising excise taxes], JTI Ukraine proposes to adopt a long-term plan to raise excise rates to the level of European ones, which would provide for an annual increase in specific and minimum excise rates by 20%," he told Interfax-Ukraine.