Increasing taxes to reduce cigarette consumption has failed: Press Secretary

  • Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com,Dhaka
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Photo:  Collected

Photo: Collected

`Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary, Shafiqul Alam, has stated that the idea of reducing cigarette consumption by increasing taxes is not working.’

On Wednesday (March 12), Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary, Shafiqul Alam, stated that the idea of reducing cigarette consumption by increasing taxes is not working. He made this remark at a workshop on effective taxation and price hikes of tobacco products for the upcoming 2025-26 fiscal budget, held at the Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) office in Paltan, Dhaka.

বিজ্ঞাপন

Shafiqul Alam said that increasing taxes should reduce cigarette consumption, and for the past 20 years, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has been pressured to implement this measure. However, this approach has not been effective.

He further noted that abruptly stopping cigarette consumption is not possible. According to him, anti-tobacco organizations have attempted to reduce tobacco use by urging the NBR to increase VAT instead of focusing on social awareness, but this approach has completely failed.

বিজ্ঞাপন

The Press Secretary also stated that all organizations working against tobacco use have failed. He emphasized the need for new strategies to make the country tobacco-free. Raising awareness and conducting nationwide campaigns could bring significant changes in cigarette consumption, he suggested.

Shafiqul Alam also mentioned that discouraging tobacco farmers from production is not possible without offering viable alternatives.