Ministry of Finance and Tobacco Industry meeting on World No Tobacco Day is a matter of utter disappointing for Anti-Tobacco Advocates

Islamabad :The Coalition for Tobacco Control Pakistan (CTC-Pak), an alliance of more than 100 organizations, expressed its apprehensions about the meeting between tobacco industry and Ministry of Finance regarding the tobacco industry’s budget proposal.

According to Zeshan Danish, project coordinator of CTC-Pak, the implementation of a 154% tax on the tobacco industry in February 2023 is a positive step that should not be sabotaged in any way.

The increase in taxes has resulted in higher cigarette prices, which are now beyond the reach of the general public, and it has resulted positively towards tobacco control efforts in Pakistan. However, Pakistan’s cigarette prices are still lower compared to many other countries. The recent tax hike has significantly reduced cigarette consumption, resulting in improved public health and a reduced burden on healthcare budgets.

International cigarette manufacturing companies are highlighting the argument of illegal cigarette sales as a tactic to reduce taxes, we hope that Government of Pakistan should not fall into this trap. Instead, law enforcement agencies should play their active role in confiscation drives of illegal cigarettes from the market and permanently shut down illegal cigarette companies.

The policy issue regarding tax collection should be addressed separately, taking into account the health implications for the public rather than solely focusing on revenue. The Project Coordinator of CTC-Pak, demanded that the tax rate on tobacco can be increased further, and concrete measures should be taken to control the production of illegal tobacco products.