More taxes can reduce tobacco use, say speakers

RAJSHAHI: Speakers here yesterday unequivocally called for imposing more taxes on tobacco for substantially reduce its use, reports BSS. 
They also urged for a specific tax policy on tobacco to reduce consumption significantly. They added tobacco control media campaign could be the effective means of enforcement of the tobacco control law.
The media personals expressed their grave concern over gross violation of tobacco control law in Rajshahi region and urged the authorities concerned to take punitive measures to resist the violation.
They were addressing the Rajshahi regional meeting of Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) held at the conference room of Association for Community Development (ACD) in the city.
 Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and Bloomberg  Philanthropies supported the event.
Editor of Daily Sonali Sangbad Liakat Ali and Editor of Daily Sonar Desh Akbarul Hassan Millat addressed the discussion as chief and special guests respectively with Executive Director of ACD Salima Sarwar in the chair. Citing latest survey on tobacco uses Project Coordinator of ACD Ehsanul Haque Emon said around one lakh people are embracing death annually from tobacco-attributable diseases in Bangladesh.
”Over 4.13 crore people have been consuming smoking and smokeless tobacco products for lower price in Bangladesh and consumers of smokeless tobacco products is much higher among women than men,” Emon said citing another survey report.
”Imposing the highest rate of flat taxes on all tobacco products would effectively discourage consumption,” Emon added.
Editor Liakat Ali called for cancelling the present slab-based taxation system on cigarettes and suggested for imposing specific taxes of 70 per cent of retail price for every packet of cigarettes.
He also underlined the need for cancelling tariff system for taxation on 'bidi', 'Jorda' and 'Gul' and suggested for imposing 70 per cent of retail price as flat tax rate for every packet and imposing two percent heath development surcharge on all tobacco products.

 

More taxes can reduce tobacco use, say speakers

RAJSHAHI: Speakers here yesterday unequivocally called for imposing more taxes on tobacco for substantially reduce its use, reports BSS. They also urged for a specific tax policy on tobacco to reduce consumption significantly. They added tobacco control media campaign could be the effective means of enforcement of the tobacco control law. The media personals expressed their grave concern over gross violationof tobacco control law in Rajshahi region and urged the authorities concerned to take punitive measures to resist the violation. They were addressing the Rajshahi regional meeting of Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) held at the conference room of Association for Community Development (ACD) in the city. Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and Bloomberg Philanthropies supported the event. Editor of Daily Sonali Sangbad Liakat Ali and Editor of Daily Sonar Desh Akbarul Hassan Millat addressed the discussion as chief and special guests respectively with Executive Director of ACD Salima Sarwar in the chair. Citing latest survey on tobacco uses Project Coordinator of ACD Ehsanul Haque Emon said around one lakh people are embracing death annually from tobacco-attributable diseases in Bangladesh. Over 4.13 crore people have been consuming smoking and smokeless tobacco products for lower price in Bangladesh and consumers of smokeless tobacco products is much higher among women than men, Emon said citing another survey report. Imposing the highest rate of flat taxes on all tobacco products would effectively discourage consumption, Emon added. Editor Liakat Ali called for cancelling the present slab-based taxation system on cigarettes and suggested for imposing specific taxes of 70 per cent of retail price for every packet of cigarettes. He also underlined the need for cancelling tariff system for taxation on bidi, Jorda and Gul and suggested for imposing 70 per cent of retail price as flat tax rate for every packet and imposing two percent heath development surcharge on all tobacco products.