Anti-tobacco campaigners demand simplified tax structure

Anti-tobacco campaigners at a webinar on Tuesday urged the government to simplify the tobacco tax structure to earn more revenues and improve health sector.

They claimed that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2016 ordered to simplify the tobacco tax structure and adopt a strong tobacco tax policy there was no progress in past six years in implementation of the directives.

They remarked it at the virtual meeting titled "PM's Directive for Simplified and Strong Tobacco Tax Policy: Impediments and Way Forward", jointly organised by PROGGA and Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) in association with Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids (CTFK).

Research Director of Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies Dr Mahfuz Kabir said lack of effective tobacco tax measures has rendered tobacco products more and more affordable over the years. This has put public health under threat and cause the government losing revenue, he said.

Dr Habibe Millat MP said, "The members of parliament used to issue demi official letters against raising tobacco taxes in the past, but currently they are issuing DOs in favour of raising tobacco taxes. We look forward to seeing the NBR and the Ministry of Finance take positive actions this time.” 

Economist and the convener of the National Anti-Tobacco Platform (NATP) Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said, “It is the responsibility of the government machinery to follow any directive issued by the prime minister and those who are ignoring the directives must be held accountable."

Dr Nasir Uddin Ahmed, a former chairman of the National Board of Revenue, said, "The ministries of health and finance need to be on the same page to raise tobacco taxes. It will be much more fruitful if the health ministry calls for meetings with the finance ministry to place this proposition on tobacco taxes."

Research Fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue Syed Yusuf Saadat, Coordinator of National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC) and Additional Secretary of Health Services Hossain Ali Khondoker; CTFK Lead Policy Advisor Md Mostafizur Rahman; Former Coordinator (Additional Secretary) of NTCC Muhammad Ruhul Quddus, Head of Department of Epidemiology and Research at National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh Prof Dr Sohel Reza Chowdhury, Director of Health and WASH sector at Dhaka Ahsania Mission  Iqbal Masud, and PROGGA Executive Director ABM Zubair also spoke at the event.