NZ government reaps $385M from duty on Imperial Tobacco sales; company FY profit little changed

NZ government reaps $385M from duty on Imperial Tobacco sales; company FY profit little changed
Jonathan Underhill
By Jonathan Underhill May 15 (BusinessDesk) - The government received $385 million in duty on sales of Imperial Tobacco New Zealand, the local unit of UK tobacco giant Imperial Brands Plc, in 2016 as the company posted its highest sales since at least 2001. Revenue at Imperial Tobacco NZ rose 1.7 percent to $554 million in the 12 months ended Sept. 30, slower than the 2.5 percent growth in duty, its annual accounts show. Raw material costs rose 3.5 percent to about $62 million. Once expenses and costs are taken into account, the company p...