Death Marketing -2

Awarding tobacco manufacturer is encouraging death trade!

Kaus Mia, the proprietor of Hakimpuri Jarda, are once again going to be awarded as Top Taxpayer by the National Board of Revenue (NBR). This is the twelfth time for the SLT manufacturer to receive such recognition. The fact that such accolade was granted by an institution that operates under a Ministry, for merely complying with the law, shows a dual policy of the govt. Because in one hand, the govt. is implementing tobacco control law and increasing tobacco taxes to decrease the death and devastation caused by tobacco and on the other hand, the govt. is also encouraging tobacco trade by bestowing different accolades on tobaccos traders and companies in different excuses. Such policy of the govt. is completely unacceptable. Public health is and must be on top of every priority and the state has the sacred responsibility to protect it. So, these activities must be stopped. Besides, The Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2019, prepared and published by PROGGA, shows that such award-giving ceremonies often create occasions of unnecessary interaction between the tobacco industry and senior government officials and thus facilitate the industry’s interference to weaken tobacco control measures.