Tobacco sector contributes more to China's revenue

BEIJING - The tobacco industry contributed more to China's state revenue in 2015, official data showed on Friday.

The sector handed over 1.1 trillion yuan ($170 billion) to public finance last year, up 20.2 percent from the previous year, the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA) said.

The industry contributed 6.49 percent of state revenue in 2014, and the ratio for 2015 will probably grow again, although the total fiscal revenue data has yet to be released.

The monopolistic sector is increasingly important to revenue with steady growth despite intensified government's efforts to control tobacco in public places.

The sector generated 1.14 trillion yuan in profits and taxation last year, up 8.73 percent year on year, the STMA data also showed.

The world's largest tobacco producer and consumer, China has 316 million smokers, or nearly 30 percent of the total population, a recent official report showed. More than 50 percent of males smoke, while 2.7 percent of females smoke.

China's smoking population increased by 15 million in the past five years, the report said.

Some health experts have advised that tobacco tax be increased further and all tobacco advertisements and promotions be banned.