Public Health on Top

National budget of 2014-15 has just passed by the Parliament. The Tobacco Companies remains benefited as effective taxes were not imposed on tobacco products in the budget. This year April to May, like the previous years, the Tobacco Industries were busy with sending DO letters (demi official) to NBR, having covert meetings with the NBR officials, disseminating ambiguous information by seasonally established anti tobacco lobby group, hiring day laborer to participate in the human-chain as bidi worker to stop tax on bidi. The tobacco companies were also busy with hiring social elites, intellectuals and researchers who supported them for not imposing taxes on tobacco products in return of huge financial benefit. The reflections of these ill tactics were seen in the present budget. There were no taxes imposed on the premium brand cigarettes. Only 4 % tax was increased in the cheap and medium brand cigarettes and 2% tax was increased in the high brand cigarette. Price slabs of all types of cigarettes were increased in different rates for giving benefit to the tobacco industries. The tax on bidi was raised very nominally. The price of per stick bidi was increased to only 3 paisa. If we compare this to the increase of people’s per capita income, it is still very insufficient as the purchasing power of smokers (per capita income) has increased 14% compares to the previous year. Finally, due to ineffective and insufficient tax measures, the prices of all tobacco products remain very cheap to buy in every year. We fail to protect public health repeatedly.

It is to be noted that the finance minister has strongly urged the rationale of raising tobacco taxes in the current national budget, which proves that he also thinks deeply and encourages that public health should be given highest priority. Therefore, he has imposed 1% health development surcharge on all tobacco products in current year’s budget. Thanks to the honorable finance minister.