Daily Times

The health advocates have urged the government to increase tax on tobacco products by 40 percent to generate revenue, decrease consumption and bridging the gap in health costs associated with smoking. It should be mentioned here the proposed increase would result into a substantial rise in government revenue, estimated to reach Rs 336 billion from the current Rs 240 billion. The intervention would also significantly impact health costs associated with smoking, projected to be reduced from Rs 615 billion to Rs 418.2 billion, effectively reducing the gap between revenue and health costs to Rs 82 billion. Former caretaker minister for information and broadcasting, Mr. Murtaza Solangi stated that all stakeholders must cast their differences aside and unite to protect our children and youth from an industry which is causing billions of losses to the national exchequer. He said that increasing tobacco taxes was such a step which should be regularly implemented. The low cigarette prices are the reason why children and young people initiate smoking, he added. Solangi further stated that smoking-related illnesses and deaths incur substantial economic costs in Pakistan’s GDP every year. These increasing health cost burdens encompass healthcare expenses, productivity losses due to illness and premature death, as well as other indirect economic impacts, he noted.