Health levy sought on tobacco products

The Society for Protection of Rights of the Child (SPARC) has urged the government to impose Health Levy on tobacco products to save Pakistani children and youth from the hazardous effects of tobacco consumption. Moreover, the implementation of the levy bill will also help Pakistan overcome its current financial challenge.

They said that the additional Rs60 Billion revenue will not only help in reducing the damage caused by the tobacco industry but will also enable Pakistan to improve its healthcare infrastructure.

Country Head, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids (CTFK), Malik Imran Ahmed said that the year 2022 was a challenging year for Pakistan's economy. Due to the cheap and easy affordability of tobacco products, the economic cost of smoking in Pakistan has reached Rs615.07 billion which is equal to 1.6% of Pakistan's GDP but the revenue generated from the tobacco industry is only 20% of the total cost.

In 2019, Federal Cabinet approved a bill to impose Health Levy (additional tax) on tobacco products to decrease consumption and generate Rs60 billion per annum. However influenced by the tobacco industry, many policymakers have continuously blocked the bill and as a result, Pakistan's healthcare and its economy have suffered miserably.

Country Lead - Vital Strategies; Former Technical Head/Director, Tobacco Control Cell, Ministry of NHSR&C Ziauddin Islam shared alarming statistics saying that 1200 children begin to smoke every day, similarly, 170,000 people die due to tobacco-induced diseases every year. In order to ensure that the number of smokers in Pakistan, which is already at 31 million, does not go beyond our control, Health Levy must be imposed and the revenue generated must be invested in public health schemes, he added.

Program Manager, SPARC Khalil Ahmed Dogar, said that in the year 2022, Pakistani children were hit badly by climate change, viral diseases, and poor nutrition due to inflation.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 3^rd, 2023.