Tamaker Khobor: January 2014

Tamaker Khobor: January 2014 The Smoking and Using of Tobacco Products (Control)(Amended) Act has been passed in the Parliament on 29 April,2013. Although it was supposed to formulate and pass the Rules of the law within the soonest time, it could not be possible even after eight months due to the interferences by tobacco company interferences. Besides, the companies are conducting lobby to the government to extend 18 months to implement pictorial warning on tobacco packets which was supposed to be enforced within six months of passing the draft Rules. Such ill measures are publicized by the media. The media monitoring data analysis of PROGGA of last nine months (April - December, 2013) shows that 3382 media pieces have been produced (see the graph) which is 76.05% higher than the previous nine months. Numerically this is important. Since it was the budget period, the numbers of tobacco taxation pieces were dominating and 691 reports were produced in the media. Supplementary Duty (SD) hike on bidi was suggested from 20 to 30 % in the proposed budget.