Taxes on tobacco items, sugary drinks sought

Pakistan National Heart Association pushes for taxes on sugary drinks and tobacco to control burden on hospitals

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH) General Secretary and Director Operations Sanaullah Ghumman on Saturday said this year's budget was crucial and important for the government and urged the prime minister and the finance minister to levy taxes on sugary drinks and tobacco products including cigarettes in the coming budget to control heavy disease burden on hospitals.

Ghumman said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Finance Minister Muftah Ismail were holding important meetings for the forthcoming budget, in which budget-related proposals were being discussed. "We urge the government, as a public representative, to seriously consider raising taxes on tobacco and sugary drinks, the two non-essential factors contributing to the rise in disease", he said.

He said that an increase in taxes on them would not only generate annual revenue of Rs 105 billion to the national exchequer but would also significantly reduce the health burden and reduce the incidence of diseases. This revenue would help in the completion of development projects, he added. Smoking and intake of sugary drinks were making people sick badly especially our young generation causing many dangerous diseases including heart, obesity, diabetes, and cancer, he warned.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 9^th, 2022.