Speakers at a seminar said on Wednesday said that all types of tobacco products, particularly low-price cigarettes, must be taken out of people’s purchasing power by imposing specific taxes in the upcoming national budget for FY 2023-24 to make Bangladesh tobacco-free.
They also demanded finalisation of the draft amendment to the tobacco control law.
Speakers made the demand during a journalists’ workshop titled ‘Tobacco Taxes and Price Measure: Budget 2023-24’, held at the Economic Reporters' Forum auditorium in the capital.
The event was jointly organized by PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and ATMA (Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance). A total of 26 journalists from print, TV, and online media attended the workshop.
Speakers said that the draft amendment to tobacco control law has already been sent to the Cabinet for approval. “The longer it takes to finalize the amendment, the higher the deaths and financial losses caused by tobacco will be.”
They also urged the government to hike the retail price of the low-tier cigarettes to Tk 55 for 10 sticks from the existing Tk 40, followed by Tk 35.75 as a specific supplementary duty.
In the medium-tier of cigarettes, the retail price should be hiked to Tk 70 for 10 sticks from the existing Tk 65, followed by TK 45.50 as a specific supplementary duty; and in the high-tier, the retail price and supplementary duty for 10 sticks should be TK 120 (from existing Tk 111) and 78.00 respectively.
In the premium tier, the numbers should be increased to Tk 150 (prices for 10 sticks) from the existing Tk 142 and Tk 97.50 (specific supplementary duty).
It was also said that the implementation of the tax and pricing proposals of anti-tobacco organizations would raise Tk 9,600 crores in additional revenues and prevent the premature deaths of 4.88 lakh adults and 4.92 lakh youths.
Hasan Shahriar, Head of Programs, presented the budget proposal. The discussants of the event include Dr Mahfuz Kabir, Research Director of Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS), Md. Abdus Salam, Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids (CTFK) Bangladesh Program Manager
