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Anthony Speaks out about Duty on Scotch Whisky
January 28, 2015Anthony Wills, Kilchoman’s Founder and Managing Director has spoken out about the duty placed on Scotch Whisky in the UK.
“The Government sees Scotch whisky as a cash cow, which is detrimental for producers and consumers alike,” says Anthony Wills, founder of the Kilchoman Distillery on Islay. “If it was a level playing field, we’d accept the duty, but it’s not. We’ve been clobbered.”
Wills has been focusing more of his attention on export markets in order to minimise his company’s exposure to the UK’s tax regime. “Why would we put effort into the UK if there’s no growth here?” he asks. “As a small producer, we can’t afford to reduce prices to drive up sales here, so we’re targeting other mature whisky markets like Germany, France, Belgium and Holland.”
Read the full article in the Sunday Telegraph (25/01/15) here
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