There are more than 25 laws to curb the illegal trade in cigarettes
ISLAMABAD: According to news stories, the sale of illegal cigarettes is on the rise and more than one billion cigarettes are added annually, which is quite alarming as it is causing huge loss to the exchequer. Another strange thing is that our lawmakers are trying to introduce more laws rather than focusing on the implementation of existing laws.
Apparently, there are more than 25 laws to curb the illegal trade in cigarettes but due to lack of implementation, the national exchequer faces losses in billions. If the authorities focus on the implementation of existing laws, then the mission of tobacco control can be achieved in a much better way. Bringing more laws with stricter restrictions on advertising can hinder foreign direct investment and will help illegal cigarette manufacturers to exploit these laws easily.
The new law in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the draft bill in the Senate regarding tobacco control are more like publicity stunts on the part of our lawmakers. I urge legislators to control illicit trade in cigarettes so that laws regarding tobacco control and precautionary measures can give better results.
Abid Saeed
Published in The Express Tribune, September 11th, 2016.
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