Campaigners press for higher tax on tobacco
Anti-tobacco campaigners today demanded higher taxes on tobacco products for the budget of 2016-17 to reduce its consumption and health risks.
"We must prevent tobacco consumption. Otherwise, we will become a handicapped nation," said National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh Founder Professor Brig (retd) Abdul Malik.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Tobacco is a major factor for cancer, lung and heart diseases, but the tobacco companies are yet growing their businesses by influencing the tax and finance authorities, he said.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith will unveil the budget for next fiscal in the upcoming week.
According to 2016 data, price of 5000 tobacco sticks in 2008-09 was 1.82 percent of per capita GDP, which went down to 1.34 percent in 2013-14, said Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) Co-Convener Nadira Kiran in her keynote speech.
According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey, 4.13 crore adult people in Bangladesh consume tobacco. Besides, 7 percent adolescents aged between 13 and 15 consume tobacco.
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