The demand for increase in the price of tobacco products in the budget

Dhaka, April 25, 2024 (BASS): The National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh and Platform Doctors Foundation have demanded price hike in the coming budget of 2024-2025 fiscal year through enforcement of all types of tobacco products.
This demand was made at a press conference titled ‘Demand for increase in tobacco tax in the upcoming 2024-25 fiscal year budget to build a tobacco-free Bangladesh declared by the Prime Minister’ held at Jahur Hossain Chowdhury Hall on Thursday.
It was informed in the press conference that about 1 lakh 61 thousand people die every year due to diseases related to tobacco use. In the financial year 2017-18, the economic loss of tobacco use is Tk 30,560 crore, which is much higher than the revenue earned from the tobacco sector (Tk 22,810 crore) during the same period.
It has been proven in Bangladesh like other countries of the world that when the price of tobacco products increases, its consumption decreases. In this situation, the price of 10 packets of low level cigarettes is 60 taka; 80 taka per 10 shalaka packets for middle class; It is demanded to levy the price of 130 rupees per 10 shalaka packet of high class cigarettes and 170 rupees per 10 shalaka packet of premium level cigarettes.
The two organizations also said that if their proposed tobacco tax is implemented in the upcoming budget, the consumption of cigarettes in the country will decrease from 15.1 percent to 13.80 percent. At the same time it will be possible to prevent premature death of 540 thousand 656 young people. In addition, about 47 thousand crores of revenue will be generated; Which is 28 percent more than the previous year.
Sirajganj-1 Constituency Member of Parliament Tanveer Shakeel Joy, chief guest of the press conference, said that to protect the country from the harm of tobacco, the Prime Minister has expressed his firm conviction to completely eradicate tobacco use from Bangladesh by 2040. Parliamentarians are working on a tobacco-free Bangladesh promised by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
He said, due to lack of effective tax structure, the price of harmful products like tobacco in our country is cheaper than other countries. As a result, common people are consuming tobacco easily and are suffering from various deadly diseases. Therefore, the complex taxation system (tiered) of tobacco products like cigarettes should be canceled and specific taxation system should be implemented; So that the prices of all types of tobacco are increased and taken out of the purchasing power of the general public.
President of the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh Professor Khandkar Abdul Awal Rizvi said that 18 percent of citizens aged 15 and above smoke in the country. Around 3.84 million adults are exposed to secondhand smoke every day in various public places including the workplace. To protect this large population from the harmful effects of tobacco, the price of all types of tobacco products should be increased. Because one globally accepted approach to reducing tobacco use is effective taxation. If our proposal is accepted and effective taxation is imposed, the government’s revenue will increase by Tk 10 thousand crores; Which is 28 percent more than last year.
Associate Professor of Institute of Health Economics of Dhaka University in the press conference. Shafiun Nahin Shimul, National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute, Head of Pathology and Research Department Dr. Sohel Reza Chowdhury, President of Bangladesh Health Reporters Forum Rashed Bappi and others were present.