ZCZC
BSS-34
WEBINAR-TAX-TOBACCO
Call to increase price of tobacco products
DHAKA, May 3, 2021 (BSS) – Speakers at a webinar today stressed the need for imposing specific tax as well as increasing price of tobacco products and simplifying its tax structure to discourage the usage of tobacco in the country.
The speakers said the current tobacco tax structure is extremely complex, which is a major obstacle for discouraging tobacco usage, so, this tax structure needs to be simplified.
They also said simplification of tax structure will be effective in reducing tobacco usage if the tobacco tax is increased in a proper manner.
The speakers said this at a virtual view exchange meeting with the members of the Executive Committee of the Economic Reports’ Forum (ERF) organized by Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) today, said a press release.
Iqbal Masud, Director, Health and Wash Sector, Dhaka Ahsania Mission delivered his welcome speech. Dr. Syed Mahfuzul Haque, National Professional Officer (NCD), World Health Organization (WHO), Abdus Salam Mia, Grants Manager, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids Bangladesh, Md. Mostafizur Rahman, Lead Policy Advisor, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids Bangladesh, Sharmeen Rinvy, President of ERF and SM Rashedul Islam, General Secretary of ERF were present as speakers in the meeting titled ‘Way Forward to Tobacco free Bangladesh by 2040: Tobacco Tax’.
Md. Shariful Islam, Project Coordinator, Tobacco Control Project, Dhaka Ahsania Mission, presented the keynote paper at the seminar moderated by Rezaur Rahman Rizvi, Media Manager, Tobacco Control Project, Dhaka Ahsania Mission.
The speakers said Bangladesh is one of the most tobacco consuming countries in the world where the price of cigarettes is very low, even bidi is more cheaper.
Iqbal Masud said tobacco is linked to six out of eight leading causes of preventable deaths worldwide. In Bangladesh, more than 1.61 lakh people die every year from diseases caused by tobacco usage.
The meeting made some recommendations on tobacco control. These are: reducing the easy availability of tobacco products, increasing specific supplementary tariffs regularly in line with inflation and income growth.
To simplify the taxation process, the speakers at the meeting suggested for removing the existing divisions/variety/tiers between tobacco products. Besides, all smokeless tobacco products should be brought under the tax net.
Besides, the meeting stressed the need for formulating and implementing a simple and effective tobacco tax policy (for a period of 5 years) which will contribute to the reduction of tobacco usage and increase in revenue and the re-imposition of 25 per cent export duty on tobacco products.
BSS/PR/GM/RY/1855hrs