In the context of discussion to the imminent increase in taxation in tobacco products promoted by the Commission, President and CEO of Imperial Brands Hellas, Nikos Nikiforidis, sent a clear message about the need “any change to be made with reason, consistency and clear timetable”.
Speaking to a gathering of journalists held yesterday (13.10.2025), the company leader emphasized that taxation on tobacco products “obviously affects us, as it affects us any disorderly move that could be done”, stressing that the stability in the tax environment is a prerequisite for the tax environment.
“In 2015 we had five tax increases within 15 months and smuggled trade from 3-4% to 23.5%,” he recalled. “Despite the efforts of the coming years, this figure has only been reduced to 17.5%. From this we understand that smuggling is very easy to climb, but it is very difficult to decrease, “he added, noting the need to avoid similar errors.
Mr Nikiforidis was also positive towards the attitude of the Minister of National Economy, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, who called for a transitional adjustment period in order to secure state revenue and protect the legal operations in the industry. The head of Imperial Brands Hellas estimated that the Greek government “shows how it knows the problems” and perceives the subtle balances required in a market with strong social and economic implications.
As Mr Nikiforidis noted, the next three years until the start of the new regime in 2028 will be a “big trip” to the market, as each Member State will follow a different timetable, which may create distortions and pressure on the supply chain.
It is recalled that a few days ago, the European Commission presented the draft revision of the Directive on Special Taxes, which provides for significant increases in the taxation of tobacco products. It is estimated that the implementation of the new framework could increase the final price of a package of cigarettes by up to 139%, raising its cost to 6.5 to 8 euros. Correspondingly, increases are also provided for new generation products, such as heated tobacco and electronic cigarettes liquids, in the context of a wider European revenue policy and protecting public health.
The dynamics of Imperial Brands in the Greek market
The head of Imperial Brands Hellas also referred to the company’s dynamic course in recent years. Imperial Brands Hellas is a member of the Imperial Brands International Group, with a presence in 120 markets and more than 25,000 employees. In Greece, its history begins in 1981 with the establishment of the Reemtsma branch and its evolution to Reemtsma Hellas in 1984. The collaboration with the Imperial Tobacco group in 1993 and the consolidation of 2003 with the creation of Imperial Tobacco Hellas marked the constant growth Hellas, reflecting the business transformation and its shift to the new generation products.
Today, the company employs more than 100 employees and estimates that there are about 3 million nicotine users in the Greek market – with 75% involving traditional smokers and the remaining 25% turning to alternative products. In 2024, next -generation products represented 43% of net sales value, showing a spectacular increase in just five years of activity in the sector. The net turnover (turnover) increased by 14% and pre -tax profits by 20%, while the total tax contribution amounted to 317 million euros.
“In 2025 for us it marks the closure of the first phase of our five -year period and now we are going to the second,” Mr Nikiforidis said, explaining that the company’s priority is to protect its leadership position in electronic products, move faster from the market to heating and continuing to heat. As he noted, “our goal is to maintain a two -digit increase in rise, around 10–12%in the next five years.”