Tunisia to impose new tax hike package

Tunisian government will impose a new tax hike package, Shems FM reported on Thursday quoting a finance ministry source. The announcement comes amid concerns of high inflation rates affecting basic food commodities. The 2012-2013 finance bill includes fresh taxation on alcoholic beverages, road taxes, airport exit taxes, as well as a one percent tax hike on yearly revenues higher than 20,000 dinars ( about 15,000 U.S. dollars) on average per household. The new taxation on alcoholic drinks is expected to generate alone some 190 million dinars (about 150 million U.S. dollars) in revenues. A 1 percent tax increase will also concern restaurants, cafes, pastry shops and discotheques, and a 50 dinar (about 30 U.S. dollars) tax will concern foreign vehicles imported from abroad, Shems FM said. The new tax package is meant to generate added revenues and stimulate employment as well as cut the budget deficit to 5 percent, the radio said.