The Members of Parliament (MPs) urged Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal to abolish stratified tax structure and increase price of cigarettes at all tires in the upcoming 2021-22 national budget to control tobacco uses and earn more revenue to deal with post COVID-19 financial situation.
The demand came up in a webinar titled, ‘Tobacco Taxation in 2021-22 National Budget: Things to do’ on Tuesday. Bangladesh Parliamentary Forum for Health & Wellbeing (BPFHW) organised the webinar supported by Shastho Shurokkha Foundation.
Deputy Speaker of Jatiya Sangsad Fazle Rabbi Miah was present as the chief guest at the event.
He said, "You have given a DO letter to the Finance Minister regarding tobacco taxation. But it will work when the standing committee of the finance ministry and members of the forum jointly explain everything to the finance minister. You have to ask him, whether he supports prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s commitment or not. You need to talk to the finance minister then it will be succeeded. I hope your initiative on tobacco taxation will be successful."
Chairman of Development Initiative and former governor of Bangladesh Bank, Dr. Atirur Rahman presented a keynote paper there.
Through the keynote presentation, two proposals were made for the implementation of a specific tax on tobacco in the upcoming budget. Those are increasing the price of cigarettes at all tires, especially low-tire cigarettes, increasing retail prices. Another one is reducing tobacco use and increasing revenue by formulating and implementing effective tobacco tax policy for a period of 5 years.
Dr. Atiur Rahman said in his presentation, "If we implement these proposals, the government will earn Taka 3 thousands and 400 crore more as revenue. A total of .8 million young people will be stopped from tobacco use."
Special guest Prof. Dr. AFM Ruhal Haque, MP said, "We have been working against tobacco for a long time. Many organisations in Bangladesh are working against tobacco. Those involved in tobacco production and trade are very powerful. We have to take different approaches to work against them. Increasing the tax on tobacco in the budget will reduce its use."
The NBR Chariman Abu Hena Md. Rahmatul Munim said," We are trying to control tobacco by imposing tax every year. But, there is no survey about its result. Organisations who work against tobacco can research on it. It will help us to work on increasing the tax on tobacco."
The virtual seminar was presided over by BPFHW forum chairman Prof. Dr. Md. Habibe Millat, MP.
He said, "Bangladesh Parliamentary Forum for Health and Wellbeing has taken a number of initiatives to control tobacco uses. According to this, we have shared a letter signed by 52 MPs to the finance minister with the demand of more tobacco taxation."
Other speakers, including members of parliament, agreed to work together against tobacco. They also expressed their solidarity on proposing a tax hike on tobacco in the Parliament session, taking effective measures against tax evasion, simplifying the existing tobacco tax system and increasing the NBR's capacity.
Among others MP ASM Feroz, Adiba Anjum Mita, Aroma Dutta, Kazi Nabil Ahmed, M. A. Shahid, Md. Shahiduzzaman Sarker, Meher Afroz Chumki, Rana Sohail; Rubina Akhter Mira, Shabnam Jahan, Shirin Akhter, Barrister Shamim Hayder Patwary and Nahid Izahar Khan took part in the seminar.
Representatives from Shastho Shurokkha Foundation, WHO; tobacco control organisation including CTFK, Progga, Voice were also present in the seminar.
