“For the first time in recent years, prices of all-tier cigarettes and supplementary duty on all those cigarettes have been raised simultaneously in the budget for FY2024-25. While this is commendable, it is also important to give a ‘big push’ in terms of raising cigarette prices instead of raising those prices slightly every year.”
Former Governor of Bangladesh Bank and Emeritus Professor of the University of Dhaka — Dr Atiur Rahman said so on Thursday while chairing a post-budget policy dialogue on effective cigarette taxation organised by Unnayan Shamannay at Dhaka.
The MP from Barisal 02- Rashed Khan Menon, when discussing at the event as an esteemed discussant, pointed out that if cigarette prices could be increased in alignment with rate of inflation and if effective taxes could be imposed on those prices, then on the one hand- prevalence of cigarette smoking would decrease desirably, and on the other hand — the government could gain more revenue from cigarette sales.
CTFK’s Lead Policy Advisor Mostafizur Rahman, who was also present as an esteemed discussant opined that while the cigarette taxation proposals in the new budget are positive, they have not completely reflected the suggestions from the anti-tobacco civil society platforms.
Considering the well-being of future generations, prices of affordable cigarettes need to be significantly increased, said Aparajita Haque, mp (Women Seat 20).
The MP from Gaibandha 01, Abdullah Nahid Nigar added that the policymakers are becoming more sensitised towards effective cigarette taxation due to pressure from the anti-tobacco civil society platforms.
To ensure that the suggestions from anti-tobacco civil society platforms are fully reflected in the National Budget, the Parliamentarians and the civil society activists must work together in a coordinated manner — said Farida Yasmin, mp (Women Seat, 35).
All three of these mp’s were present at the dialogue session as esteemed discussants.
Akhtraruzzaman, the mp from Gazipur 05, was also present as an esteemed discussant. He said that a “tobacco-free Bangladesh” by 2040 will not be possible without ensuring effective cigarette taxes.
In the closing remarks, Dr Atiur Rahman further added that because of not reflecting the proposals from the anti-tobacco activists and researchers in the cigarette taxation proposals of the budget, the government is likely to miss out on earning an additional BDT 6 thousand crore in taxes from cigarette sales.
He urged the policymakers to take necessary steps to ensure that cigarette prices are raised significantly, and effective taxes are imposed on those raised prices, in the next budget.
