Cuba’s elderly will no longer be entitled to state subsidised cigarettes, the government has said.

All Cubans 55 or older are allocated four packs of cigarettes a month for about 25% the normal price, but this privilege is being ended in September.

The measure is President Raul Castro’s latest attempt to cut the communist state’s spending.

The island has been hit hard by the global economic downturn and the long term US trade embargo.

A statement in the government run Granma newspaper said the move was “part of the steps gradually being applied to eliminate subsidies”. The health benefits were not mentioned.

Cigarettes “are not a primary necessity,” it said.

Some elderly non smokers were taking their cut price cigarettes and re selling them to boost their meagre pensions, says the BBC’s Michael Voss in Havana.

“I’m insulted because it’s another thing they are taking away from us,” said Angela Jimenez, a 64 year old who receives a monthly pension of about $10 ( 6.50).

She said she will now have to quit smoking because she won’t be able to afford the normal price of about $0.33 a pack.

Cigarettes are the latest item to be removed from ration books. Subsidised peas and potatoes were eliminated in November.

Earlier in August Mr Castro said the role of the state would be reduced in some areas, to cut the “overloaded” state budget.

He said more workers would be allowed to be self employed or to set up small businesses.

Cops: cheap cigarettes fencing operation – chicago tribune

Premier (cigarette) – wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Yassins are both charged with felony theft and control of stolen goods, and Shlain is charged with felony retail theft.

Mahmoud Yassin was arrested at Discount Cigarettes, 2990 N. Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago, while his son and Shlain were arrested at their homes by investigators including the Chicago Police Asset Forfeiture Unit. Each was ordered held in lieu of $10,000 bail following a hearing today before Cook County Criminal Court Judge Donald Panarese, according to court records.

What police described as an elaborate fencing operation supplied Mahmoud Yassin s stores as well as others, buying cigarettes and items including cough syrup, tooth whitening strips, coffee and razor blades, from shoplifters, police said.

Police began investigating about six months ago, and during “Operation Cheap Smokes,” found that Mahmoud Yassin used Discount Cigarettes, as well as two other shops, School Snack Grocery and Tobacco, 3936 W. School St., and Euro Communications, 5359 W. Belmont Ave., to sell the items for retail or to other businesses. The items also were resold on eBay, according to police.

At Discount Cigarettes, investigators recorded undercover sales in which people posed as shoplifters and the Yassins negotiated prices, police said.

When police served warrants Wednesday, at the Belmont shop they found a false wall hiding a storeroom filled with merchandize, including 360 packs of stolen cigarettes, police said. In all, they found 6,300 packs without the proper tax stamps at the one store, police said.

At the Yassins Orland Park home, police found $100,000 in cash, believed to be the proceeds of the fencing operation, as well as a Mercedes Benz and four other vehicles, police said. The homes were used to organize and prepare items being sold online for shipment, police said.

After the arrests Wednesday, Mahmoud Yassin was hospitalized at Our Lady of the Resurrection Medical Center, Mirabelli said.

The three are scheduled to appear again in court on June 13.

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