Ashrafi calls for increase in tobacco tax in upcoming budget

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Interfaith Harmony and Middle East Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi on Wednesday urged the government to increase tax on all tobacco products in the upcoming budget to keep cigarettes out of the purchasing power of children and adults. Speaking at a seminar on tobacco revenue and consumption in Islamabad, he said that smoking is termed as beginning of all evils in the society and the government should make it costly through taxes to discourage youth from becoming smokers.

He said the government should initiate measures to ensure implementation of the all relevant laws to enhance tax on cigarettes to boost its revenue and reduce the health burden. Awareness campaigning should also be made through social media means of communication to educate youth about extremism and consequences of tobacco and drugs, he suggested, adding that as 68 percent population of the country belongs to youth, it is responsibility of clerics, respective parents and elders to discourage tobacco and smoking among adults and youth. Ashrafi said that religious clerics will also educate public in Friday sermons on consequences of smoking and tobacco. Speaking on the occasion, Senator Zarqa Taimur said that taxation on tobacco sector should be enhanced keeping in view rising demands of health budget of the country. She said that smoking is a gateway to drugs and narcotics and parents should play very responsible role to monitor their children against this addiction. She said taxation ratio on imported and locally manufactured cigarettes should be increased and suggested that local industry should be promoted in the country against imported brands and smuggled cigarettes.