Tobacco & Hungary

Health 21 Hungarian Foundation: "Similarly, Hungary fell to transnational tobacco companies when these headed east in 1991-1992. During the past 15 years five multinational tobacco companies (British American Tobacco, Philip Morris, RJ Reynolds, Reemtsma and Imperial Tobacco) entered the Hungarian market and bought production facilities in the country. In spite of substantial tax concessions they were given by the Hungarian state four have already sold their interests (Philip Morris, RJ Reynolds, Reemtsma and Imperial Tobacco). In the years they spent in Hungary they paid less taxes than they could have been and withdrew an important share of their profits from the country. They left behind a social burden which amounts three to four times more than the state incomes from the entire tobacco sector.
Why should a country be partner in making wealthy tobacco companies wealthier against its own interests? This is a case study of a country which did not resist the pseudo-shining of tobacco investments and experienced the “living together” with the world’s richest tobacco transnationals."