BAT’s tobacco tax payments worth as much as NZ government returns from all SOEs in 2011

BAT’s tobacco tax payments worth as much as NZ government returns from all SOEs in 2011
By Paul McBeth July 04 (BusinessDesk) - July 4 (BusinessDesk) - British American Tobacco Holdings (New Zealand), the local unit of the maker of Benson & Hedges, Dunhill and Lucky Strike cigarettes, paid $801.2 million in excise tax last year, as much as the government reaped from all 16 state-owned enterprises, its accounts show. Profit rose 4.1 percent to $120.7 million in calendar 2011, according to the Auckland-based company's financial statements lodged with the Companies Office. Sales slipped to $1.06 billion from $1.08 billion a year...