Public Health on Top

As part of providing business partnership to the government, BATB includes two of the government’s high officials from Finance Ministry and Ministry of Industry (additional/ joint secretary) and ICB Chairman as Independent/ Non-Executive Director. It is suspected that BATB manipulates the positioning of the government officials (who work for BATB within their capacity) into receiving higher position and authority in Finance, Health and Law ministries. Even, after the retirement, many of the government officials join with BATB as permanent employee. An analysis of BATB annual report (from 2009 -2014) has revealed that few of the former higher officials of the aforesaid Ministries were employed at BATB with higher positions. Using the former employees, the BATB hampers in tobacco taxation and anti-tobacco law formulation process. Recently, in some of the African countries, BAT has bribed a huge amount to the government’s high officials to prevent anti-tobacco law which is really shocking. We want that the Health and Law Ministry of the government will implement the Graphical Health Warning on March 19, 2016 by following the existing law and being free of the tobacco company interferences. The Finance Ministry will not be deceived with the tobacco company’s so called revenue arguments and will formulate an effective Tobacco Tax Policy following the Prime Minister’s declaration and impose an effective tax on tobacco products to cut down commoners’ tobacco purchasing capacity as the public health is on the top.