Public Health on Top

The government has decided to considerably hike the prices and tax rates on all tiers of cigarettes in the middle of FY 2024-25 which is a significant move in protecting public health and increasing revenue inflow. The decision to increase the price and supplementary duty on low-tier cigarettes which constitute 75 percent of the cigarette market is particularly noteworthy. It should be noted that during a recent meeting with anti-tobacco activists, the Chairman of National Board of Revenue (NBR) has assured that necessary measures would be taken in this regard. However, opposing NBR's move, the tobacco industry has been trying to mislead policymakers by publishing reports full of baseless claims and fabricated information that is far from truth. We hope that the government will not allow itself to get misled by the tobacco industry's disinformation campaign and continue the trend of hiking prices and taxes on tobacco products in the upcoming national budget. It is only by taking tobacco products out of the purchasing capacity of the people, we can safeguard public health and succeed in increasing revenue earning for the government.