IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/vrs/jecman/v40y2020i2p5-35n2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The effects of illicit cigarette trade in South Africa: A CGE analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Erero Jean Luc

    (Operational Research (OR) Tax, Customs and Excise Institute (TCEI), South African Revenue Service (SARS))

Abstract

Aim/purpose – This paper evaluates the effects of the illicit cigarette trade on the South African economy through a static Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model. Indeed, the illicit cigarette trade occupies a prominent place in public debate in South Africa. Design/methodology/approach – The base year Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) of the model is constructed from the data for 2015 to reflect the most recent information. The model includes a number of direct and indirect tax variables. The indirect tax section is decomposed into VAT, excise and fuel levy for analysis purposes. The household section considered all income categories with 14 distinct deciles. Findings – One policy simulation was carried out to evaluate the effect of the illicit cigarette trade on growth and income distribution. Our findings show that the loss of R8 billion in tax revenue given the current growth of the illicit cigarette market has impacted negatively on the country’s GDP and employment rate. Research implications/limitations – We utilised the latest available data for 2015 when constructing the SAM that was used as database for the model. The assessment of the illicit cigarette trade through the application of a CGE model provided strategies for the implementation of a specific Cigarette Governing Body, with distinct areas of accountability focusing solely on illicit cigarettes. Originality/value/contribution – There is a need for urgent attention from the state to combat the trade in illicit cigarettes, as most of this illegal product is produced in South Africa. This paper contributes by expanding awareness amongst policy makers and the public regarding the connection between the illicit trade in licit goods, corruption, and organised criminal networks.

Suggested Citation

  • Erero Jean Luc, 2020. "The effects of illicit cigarette trade in South Africa: A CGE analysis," Journal of Economics and Management, Sciendo, vol. 40(2), pages 5-35, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:vrs:jecman:v:40:y:2020:i:2:p:5-35:n:2
    DOI: 10.22367/jem.2020.40.01
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.22367/jem.2020.40.01
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22367/jem.2020.40.01?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Coats, R. Morris, 1995. "A Note on Estimating Cross-Border Effects of State Cigarette Taxes," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association, vol. 48(4), pages 573-84, December.
    2. Theresa Alton & Channing Arndt & Rob Davies & Faaiqa Hartley & Konstantin Makrelov & James Thurlow & Dumebi Ubogu, 2012. "The Economic Implications of Introducing Carbon Taxes in South Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2012-046, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    3. Coats, R. Morris, 1995. "A Note on Estimating Cross-Border Effects of State Cigarette Taxes," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 48(4), pages 573-584, December.
    4. Reza Rezayatmand & Wim Groot & Milena Pavlova, 2017. "Smoking behaviour and health care costs coverage: a European cross-country comparison," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 453-471, December.
    5. Alton, Theresa & Arndt, Channing & Davies, Rob & Hartley, Faaiqa & Makrelov, Konstantin & Thurlow, James & Ubogu, Dumebi, 2012. "The Economic Implications of Introducing Carbon Taxes in South Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series 046, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    6. repec:unu:wpaper:wp2012-46 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Becker, Gary S & Murphy, Kevin M, 1988. "A Theory of Rational Addiction," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 96(4), pages 675-700, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Alfred K. Mukong & Ernest N. Tingum, 2018. "The Demand for Cigarettes: New Evidence from South Africa," Working Papers 745, Economic Research Southern Africa.
    2. Rulof Petrus Burger & Lodewicus Charl Coetzee & Carl Friedrich Kreuser & Neil Andrew Rankin, 2017. "Income and Price Elasticities of Demand in South Africa: An Application of the Linear Expenditure System," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 85(4), pages 491-514, December.
    3. Lesley Chiou & Erich Muehlegger, 2014. "Consumer Response to Cigarette Excise Tax Changes," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 67(3), pages 621-650, September.
    4. Thomas Y. Mathä & Alessandro Porpiglia & Michael Ziegelmeyer, 2017. "Cross-border commuting and consuming: an empirical investigation," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(20), pages 2011-2026, April.
    5. Lumengo Bonga-Bonga & Jean Luc Erero & Rangan Gupta, 2016. "Impact of Activity Tax in the Property-Owning and Subletting of Fixed Property Sectors on the South African Economy: A CGE Analysis," Journal of Real Estate Literature, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(2), pages 345-357, January.
    6. Aili Malm & George Tita, 2006. "A spatial analysis of green teams: a tactical response to marijuana production in British Columbia," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 39(4), pages 361-377, December.
    7. Evans, William N. & Ringel, Jeanne S., 1999. "Can higher cigarette taxes improve birth outcomes?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(1), pages 135-154, April.
    8. Christian Ben Lakhdar & Nicolas Gérard Vaillant & François-Charles Wolff, 2016. "Does smoke cross the border? Cigarette tax avoidance in France," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 17(9), pages 1073-1089, December.
    9. Chin W. Yang & Hui Wen Cheng & Ching Wen Chi & Bwo-Nung Huang, 2016. "A Tax Can Increase Profit of a Monopolist or a Monopoly-like Firm: A Fiction or Distinct Possibility?," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 216(1), pages 39-60, March.
    10. DeCicca, Philip & Kenkel, Donald & Liu, Feng, 2013. "Excise tax avoidance: The case of state cigarette taxes," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(6), pages 1130-1141.
    11. repec:mea:meawpa:14284 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Goel, Rajeev K. & Payne, James E. & Saunoris, James W., 2016. "Spillovers from the beer market to U.S. cigarette demand," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 292-297.
    13. William N. Evans & Jeanne S. Ringel & Diana Stech, 1999. "Tobacco Taxes and Public Policy to Discourage Smoking," NBER Chapters, in: Tax Policy and the Economy, Volume 13, pages 1-56, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Lovenheim, Michael F., 2008. "How Far to the Border?: The Extent and Impact of Cross-Border Casual Cigarette Smuggling," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 61(1), pages 7-33, March.
    15. Stehr, Mark, 2005. "Cigarette tax avoidance and evasion," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(2), pages 277-297, March.
    16. Austan Goolsbee & Michael F. Lovenheim & Joel Slemrod, 2010. "Playing with Fire: Cigarettes, Taxes, and Competition from the Internet," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 2(1), pages 131-154, February.
    17. Qiao-Mei Liang & Qian Wang & Yi-Ming Wei, 2013. "Assessing the Distributional Impacts of Carbon Tax among Households across Different Income Groups: The Case of China," Energy & Environment, , vol. 24(7-8), pages 1323-1346, December.
    18. James E. Prieger & Jonathan Kulick, 2018. "Cigarette Taxes And Illicit Trade In Europe," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 56(3), pages 1706-1723, July.
    19. Florian Landis and Peter Heindl, 2019. "Renewable Energy Targets in the Context of the EU ETS: Whom do They Benefit Exactly?," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 6).
    20. Leal, Andrés & López-Laborda, Julio & Rodrigo, Fernando, 2009. "Prices, taxes and automotive fuel cross-border shopping," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 225-234.
    21. repec:wvu:wpaper:05-12 is not listed on IDEAS
    22. Delipalla, Sophia & O'Donnell, Owen, 2001. "Estimating tax incidence, market power and market conduct: The European cigarette industry," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 19(6), pages 885-908, May.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    illicit cigarette; CGE model; South Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C68 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Computable General Equilibrium Models
    • E26 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Informal Economy; Underground Economy

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:vrs:jecman:v:40:y:2020:i:2:p:5-35:n:2. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.sciendo.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.