ISLAMABAD: Health activists have urged the government to remain steadfast on its decision to double the Federal Excise Duty (FED) on Cigarettes.

In a press release shared by Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC), health activists said that this decision can solve Pakistan’s financial dejection, provided that the government is not mislead by the tobacco industry’s misinformation campaign.

Malik Imran, country head, Campaign for tobacco-free kids (CTFK), mentioned that tobacco-induced diseases cause an annual economic burden of 615 billion which is 1.6% of Pakistan’s GDP. Though tobacco industry is one of the major tax payers, the revenue generated from it is Rs120 billion.

Therefore, the industry can’t claim that it is fulfilling the duty. An industry, which is causing such severe damage to people’s health and finances, should not use a victim card that it is being ‘burdened’ by taxes. Therefore, instead of listening to the misinformation spread by tobacco industry, everyone must appreciate government’s decision which is in interest of Pakistan’s health and economy.

And the government must be consistent about the decision it took on tax increase regarding tobacco products because existing tobacco taxes can generate Rs60bn more in revenue.

Imran also mentioned that in order to gain sympathies tobacco industry uses emotional tactics, e.g., provider for poor families, etc.

Reality is that the deadly products of tobacco industry are snatching people’s precious resources. He mentioned that on average Pakistani smokers spend 10% of their monthly income on cigarettes. Therefore, this increase will make cigarettes go out of reach of low-income citizens and children, thus saving them for their harms.

Khalil Ahmed Dogar, Program Manager SPARC said that illicit trade is a harsh reality; however, its percentage is far less than the figure claimed by the industry. This is a cover used by tobacco industry to divert people from the underreporting. These companies under-report their production and then sell their non-reported products in the illicit market, causing a loss in billions of rupees to the national exchequer.

Furthermore, illicit trade is not an excuse because industry is making deadly non-essential products. Consequently, it should have no qualms in paying the taxes. Two wrongs don’t make a right. “Yes, the government needs to counter illicit trade but it also needs to increase the taxes on tobacco companies.”

Khalil mentioned that increasing FED in February was a good step which shouldn’t remain a onetime activity. Keeping World Health Organization’s recommendation in consideration, Pakistan should increase taxes on regular intervals so that inflation and per capita income is accounted for and Pakistanis remain protected from harms of tobacco products.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023