Inu for imposing more taxes on tobacco products
STAFF REPORTER
Minister for Information Hasanul Haq Inu yesterday put emphasis on the need for imposing more taxes on tobacco products to make Bangladesh free from tobacco.
The tax imposed in the proposed budget is not enough. More taxes should be imposed on tobacco products aiming at making the country free from tobacco he said while addressing a seminar as the chief guest at CIRDAP auditoriumin he capital. He also stressed the need for ensuring equal based revenue policy should be applied in imposing taxes on tobacco products and hoped that the matters would be considered with due importance during finalising the budget.
Research and Development Collective (RDC) organised the seminar where its chairperson Prof Dr Meshbah Kamal presented the keynote paper. The Information Minister said the budget did not reflect the prime ministers announcement to declare Bangladesh tobacco free by 2040 because more taxes should be imposed on tobacco products to discourage smoking.
He said multipurpose programme of action should be taken to create awareness against smoking along with taking plan for alternative employment so that bidi workers are not unemployed. He also called upon the owners to fix minimum wage for the bidi workers. Presided over by Dr Wazedul Islam General secretary of Trade Union Kendro the seminar was also addressed among others by Dr Md Abdus Sabur MK Bangali general secretary of Bidi Sramik Federation Kazi Md Anwarul Islam Hena Begum and RDC general secretary Jannat-E-Ferdousi.
