Govt urged to increase taxes on tobacco products
The Financial Express – February 22, 2008
Bangladesh Anti-tobacco Alliance urged the government to increase taxes on tobacco products in the coming budget for controlling the massive use of tobacco in the country, reports UNB.
“Taxes on all tobacco products including dried tobacco leaves, `gul’ and `zarda’ have to be increased for effectively controlling the use of tobacco,” general secretary of Consumers’ Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Kazi Faruk told a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club Wednesday.
He said an increase in prices of tobacco products would have the greatest effect on the important target groups like poor and youths. “Some 10 per cent increase in price reduces consumption by 4 per cent in developed countries and 8 per cent in countries like Bangladesh.”
Referring to the report of a survey conducted jointly by `Work for a Better Bangladesh (WBB)’ and ‘Mental and Health Bridge’, Kazi Faruq said most people in the country supported the increase of taxes and prices on tobacco and tobacco products.
“Some 73.2 per cent respondents opined in favour of increasing taxes on tobacco while some 60.1 per cent agreed to cut down on the use of tobacco with high price of tobacco products.”