Anti-tobacco organisations yesterday urged the government to increase taxes on tobacco products and reform the current four-level price slab into two levels, reports UNB. Speakers came up with the demands at a post-budget press conference on ‘Tobacco taxation in the proposed budget for the 2018-19’ held at the National Press Club. An Anti-tobacco platform, PROGGA and Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) organised it in league with National Heart Foundation Bangladesh, Dhaka Ahsania Mission, Association for Community Development (ACD), Young Power in Social Action (YPSA),National Anti-Tobacco Platform (NATP) and Tamak Birodhi Nari Jote (TABINAJ).

Professor of Economics Department of Dhaka University, Dr Rumana Haque, said, “The proposed budget left the existing four price slabs of cigarettes untouched. As a result, the consumers will get opportunity to switch to lower brands”.

She also said, while speaking as a special guest, it would be an obstacle in achieving a tobacco-free country by 2040.

While speaking as the chief guest, economist Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said, “The consumers of low segment cigarettes are the highest, so to discourage them price of the low level tobacco product should be increased.”

The speakers asked the government to reform the four-level price slab - low, medium, high and premium- into two levels -high and low.

They also demanded to set the minimum price for the low tier at no less than Tk. 50 per 10 sticks and raise the supplementary tax to 60 per cent.

Similarly, for the high tire, they asked to set the minimum price at Tk100 per 10 sticks

and impose 65 per cent supplementary tax and introduce a specific tax of Tk 5 per 10 sticks for all cigarettes. The platforms demanded for eliminating the distinction between filtered and non-filtered bidis, imposing 45 per cent supplementary duty and adding a specific tax of Tk 6 per pack of 25 sticks.

They also asked to raise the price of smokeless tobacco by increasing taxes and duty on it.