Raise tobacco tax, earn addl revenue: Experts

The government can earn additional revenue of Tk 25,000 crore in a fiscal by raising tax on tobacco products to 70 percent, which will also help cut tobacco use in the country, according to experts.
“Additional revenue of Tk 25,000 crore in a fiscal could be earned by raising tax on tobacco products following the guideline of the World Health Organization while the government has targeted to collect revenue of about Tk 250,000 crore in next fiscal,” Dr M Mostafa Zaman, WHO National Professional Officer (NCD), told a workshop on Monday.
National Tobacco Control Cell of the Health and Family Welfare Ministry in association with the WHO and Bangladesh and Anti Tobacco Media Alliance (Atma) organised the orientation workshop for journalists at Biam Foundation in the capital.
The workshop was arranged on the theme of World No Tobacco Day 2014, which is ‘Raise taxes on tobacco’.
Dr Mostafa Zaman said if the government raises tax on tobacco and tobacco products, tobacco use will be cut significantly in the country, according to UNB.