Ceylon Tobacco Company (CTC) has announced that it has been compelled to change its manufacturing operation in Colombo from three shifts to two in the back drop of the sharp decline in sales volumes. This latest move by the company comes in the wake of the 45% reduction in sales during the last quarter of the year as a result of the excise hike on October 4, 2016, and the imposition of 15% VAT on November 1, 2016. The reduction in the number of shifts means that CTC will face a 20% head count cut in its factory.