BackgroundThe objective of this study is to estimate the sensitivity of cigarette quantity demanded to price and income changes in Montenegro.Data and methodsThe sensitivity of cigarette quantity demanded to price and income changes was estimated using micro and macro analysis. Micro analysis implied the use of Deaton’s model on Household Budget Survey data (2006–2017). In macro analysis, conventional static demand model is applied using error correction and autoregressive distributed lag time series methodology on annual time series aggregated data (2001–2017).ResultsThe same results were obtained using micro and macro analysis which contributes to the objectivity of the conducted research. Results derived from the Deaton’s model indicate a negative price elasticity of cigarettes in the range between −0.62 and −0.80 (conditional and unconditional), while in macro model estimated price elasticity is in that range and equals −0.68. Simulation results confirm the efficiency of excise tax policy changes, having an evident decrease in consumption and increase of public revenues.ConclusionAnalysis of the tobacco market and regulatory environment suggests that the increase of excise and other taxes on tobacco have an important direct impact on the reduction of cigarettes and other tobacco products consumption. Our estimates of long and short-run price elasticity show that direct impact is strong and very much in accordance with the results obtained so far for other low-income and middle-income countries. This paper gives a contribution to the analysis of price elasticity of demand for cigarettes, which was for the first time conducted in Montenegro.

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The objective of this study was to estimate the sensitivity of spirit quantity demanded for price and income changes in Montenegro and to show the effectiveness of taxation-policy changes in the reduction of spirit consumption. It is the first study on this topic in Montenegro, where adverse effects of alcohol are recognized as an important obstacle in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The price elasticity of spirits was estimated using Deaton’s methodology on the Household Budget Survey (HBS) data in the period of 2006–2017. Cigarettes were included as a control variable as, along with spirits, they are one of the most harmful substances used in Montenegro. Using these results, we simulated the effects of spirit use on public revenue. The results show that the spirits’ own price elasticity equaled −0.45, while the cross-price elasticity equaled −0.17, showing that spirits and cigarettes are complementary goods. These results, along with elasticities calculated by sex (male, −0.55; female, −0.5), income groups (low income, −1.16; middle-income, −0.46; high-income, −0.26), and for the working-age group (−0.74), demonstrate that an increase in excise taxes could be a very efficient tool in decreasing the adverse effect of spirits and cigarettes on household member’s productivity, health, and budget, which is in line with SDGs. An efficient road map for sustainable development for Montenegro must include the reduction of health-harmful substance use through excise tax increase.

BackgroundThe main goal of this study was to examine the responsiveness of smoking prevalence and cigarette consumption to price and income changes by income groups and the effectiveness of tax policy changes to reduce cigarette consumption in Montenegro.Data and methodsA two-part model was applied to estimate smoking participation, smoking intensity price and income elasticity. The first part of the model applies logit regression, while the second uses Deaton’s model to improve the validity and objectivity of conditional (smoking intensity) elasticity results. A generalised linear model (GLM) was applied to verify robustness. The reason for this is that Deaton’s model is commonly used in the analysis of Household Budget Survey (HBS) data, especially when households do not report the market price. Moreover, using this model, it is possible to capture the shading of quality to price change. The analysis used HBS data (2006–2017).ResultsThe estimates indicate that tobacco pricing policies had a much higher impact on smoking prevalence in the low-income group (price elasticity of −0.595) relative to the high-income group (price elasticity of −0.344). The same conclusion could be drawn for the smoking intensity elasticity: the high-income group was the least affected by changes in price (price elasticity of −0.258). At the same time, the most affected was the low-income group, with price elasticity of −0.424. Poorer households spent a larger share of their budget on cigarettes. The simulation results confirm that increases in the specific excise taxes of 58.3% on tobacco would reduce total cigarette consumption by 11.25% while increasing the collection of government revenue by 8.07%.ConclusionSmoking prevalence and consumption are very responsive to price and income changes, with considerable differences in elasticities between income groups. The taxation policy has a positive impact on changing patterns of consumption and public revenues across each income group. Low-income and middle-income households would benefit the most, while on the other hand, the highest revenue collection was generated from the wealthiest group. Our results align with results obtained so far for other low-income and middle-income countries. This paper contributes to the analysis of the smoking prevalence and cigarette consumption responsiveness to price and income changes, which was conducted for the first time in Montenegro.

BackgroundThe main goal of this study is to estimate the crowding out impact of tobacco expenditures on the household budget allocation to other mutually exclusive commodity groups in Montenegro.MethodologyThe analysis uses the Household Budget Survey data from 2005 to 2017 to estimate a system of Engel curves using a three-stage least squares approach. As the tobacco expenditure variable is endogenous to budget shares on other consumption items, instrumental variables were included to obtain consistent estimates.ResultsOverall, the results confirm the existence of the crowding out effect of tobacco spending on various commodities, such as some food items (eg, cereals, fruits and vegetables and dairy products), clothing, housing and utilities, education and recreation while a positive effect of tobacco consumption was estimated on budget shares on bars and restaurants, alcohol, coffee and sugary drinks. These results are consistent throughout the income groups of households. The estimates indicate that an increase in tobacco expenditures leads to reduction in budget shares on essential goods, which is likely to have negative impacts on the household living standard.ConclusionsTobacco expenditure crowds out household spending on necessities, especially in case of the poorest households, thus increasing inequality, hampering human capital development and potentially causing long-term adverse effects on the households in Montenegro. Our results are similar to evidence from other low and middle-income countries. This paper contributes to the analysis of the crowding out effect of tobacco consumption, which was conducted for the first time in Montenegro.

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Abstract:The main goals of the spatial development of rural areas are to protect and prevent degradation of agricultural land, forests and protected areas, as well as to encourage (more) balanced territorial development. Given that the quality and development of agriculture largely depend on the level of consciousness and awareness of the population in rural areas as to the opportunities and benefits of their involvement in the adoption and approval of planning solutions, the aim of this paper is to define a communication strategy to help raise the awareness of the focus groups (landowners, farmers and investors) of the importance of and link between spatial planning and development of agribusiness and rural areas, exploring different techniques and methods of using various communication channels. The methods which will be used in the paper include secondary research, SWOT analysis, and trend and historical analysis. The research results show that it is essential from the very beginning to take the views of various stakeholders into account through frequent thematic dialogues, in order to incorporate a consensus which has been reached together with the expert team of the developer, into planning decisions. Only such an approach can lead to sustainable and enforceable plans as prerequisites for the realisation of realistically planned investment in rural areas. Furthermore, it is very important to legally standardise such an approach so that public participation, as a mandatory legal procedure, can be defined through precisely defined steps and established performance indicators from the very beginning of the process of adopting planning documents.

This study aims to test the impact of taxation policy on households’ spirits consumption on a regional level. To asses regional differences in spirits use and prevalence changes, due to price and income increase, we applied Two-part methodology on Household Budget Survey data. Using estimates of prevalence and conditional elasticity, we were capable of simulating the effects of price changes on consumption and public revenues. The results confirmed the positive impact of effective taxation policy – consumption decreases, and public revenues increase with evident regional differences. The paper contributes to the research of the consumption sensitivity to price and income changes, which was, until now, not empirically tested in Montenegro.