煙草在線據(jù)馬尼拉公報(bào)報(bào)道編譯　　盡管面臨更高稅收的威脅，卷煙制造商菲莫福川公司正在菲律賓尋求其他它可以對(duì)煙草種植進(jìn)行投資的地點(diǎn)。

　　菲莫福川總裁克里斯·尼爾森說(shuō)，公司正在尋找他們?cè)?2個(gè)月內(nèi)能持續(xù)種植煙草而且不容易受到臺(tái)風(fēng)襲擊的地方。

　　“我們正在努力改善我們的產(chǎn)品質(zhì)量，我們實(shí)際上想看看我們是否能連續(xù)種植煙草，我們?cè)囍鴮ふ沂芴鞖庥绊懖淮蟮牟煌貐^(qū)，”尼爾森對(duì)記者說(shuō)。

　　他說(shuō)，目前，農(nóng)民們只在9月到10月種植煙草，而在下一年的3月份準(zhǔn)備收獲。

　　但尼爾森還說(shuō)，地區(qū)的土壤條件仍是菲莫福川投資之前要考慮的一個(gè)主要因素。

　　煙草通常種植在伊羅科斯地區(qū)，不過(guò)，尼爾森表示，該省經(jīng)常遭到臺(tái)風(fēng)襲擊，結(jié)果產(chǎn)量很低。去年，煙草的總產(chǎn)量為7900萬(wàn)公斤。

　　“這個(gè)想法是找到我們可以連續(xù)生產(chǎn)的地方，如果證明成功的話，我們將擴(kuò)大我們的業(yè)務(wù)，我們當(dāng)然也需要從農(nóng)民手中得到煙葉，”尼爾森解釋道。

　　他說(shuō)，菲莫福川把薄荷島看作是另一個(gè)可能種植煙草的地方，同時(shí)正在對(duì)卡加延德奧羅省和民都洛島進(jìn)行測(cè)試。

　　在菲莫公司與福川煙草公司合并后，菲莫福川至少擁有90%的菲律賓煙草業(yè)市場(chǎng)份額。其品牌有萬(wàn)寶路、菲莫、財(cái)富、冠軍和老板卷煙。

　　目前，該國(guó)約270萬(wàn)人在煙草業(yè)就業(yè)。然而，該行業(yè)，受到稅務(wù)局的壓力，稅務(wù)局一直在在國(guó)會(huì)推動(dòng)一項(xiàng)提高消費(fèi)稅稅率的法案。

　　盡管面臨這種威脅，尼爾森表示，菲莫福川將繼續(xù)在菲律賓做生意。

　　“我們不會(huì)離開(kāi)這個(gè)國(guó)家的，就像我以前所說(shuō)的我們自1955年以來(lái)就一直在這里。我認(rèn)為自1955年以來(lái)我們看到發(fā)生了很多變化，當(dāng)然我們承諾留在這里，”尼爾森說(shuō)。

　　但他也警告說(shuō)，提議的措施將會(huì)對(duì)公司在菲律賓的未來(lái)投資發(fā)出“非常糟糕的信號(hào)”。

PMFTC To Pursue Expansion Plans

　　MANILA, Philippines - Despite a threat of higher taxes, cigarette-maker PMFTC Incorporated is looking for other locations within the Philippines where it can invest in tobacco growing.

　　Chris Nelson, PMFTC president said that the company is looking for locations where they can continuously grow tobacco in a period of 12 months and are not prone to typhoons.

　　"We're trying to improve the quality our product, we're actually trying to see if we can grow tobacco on a continuous basis and we're trying to look at different areas which are less affected by the weather," Nelson told reporters.

　　He said that at present, farmers can only plant tobacco from September to October and it will be ready for harvest in March next year.

　　But Nelson also said that area's soil condition is still a primary consideration before PMFTC will invest.

　　Tobacco usually grows in the Locos region, however, Nelson said province is frequently hit by typhoons that results to small production output. Last year, total market for tobacco reached 79 million kilos.

　　"The idea is to find places where we can have continuous production, and if that proves successful, we'll expand our business because also of course we need to get from the farmers," Nelson explained.

　　He said PMFTC is looking at Bohol as another possible location for tobacco growing while there is an ongoing testing happening in the provinces of Cagayan de Oro and Mindoro.

　　PMFTC accounts for at least 90 percent of the Philippine tobacco industry after Philip Morris combined with Fortune Tobacco. Its brands include Marlboro and Philip Morris, Fortune, Champion and Boss cigarettes.

　　At present, some 2.7 million of the country's population derive employment from the tobacco industry. The industry, however, is under pressure from tax authorities, who have been pushing a bill in Congress to raise excise tax rates.

　　Despite the threat, Nelson said PMFTC will continue to do business in the Philippines.

　　"We wouldn't move out of the country, as I've said we've been here since 1955. I think that we've seen a lot of changes since 1955, and we're committed to be here of course," Nelson said.

　　But he also warned that the proposed measure will send a "very bad signal" on the company's future investments in the Philippines.