‘Health tax to boost revenue’
Islamabad
December 27, 2020
Islamabad : Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination has urged the Ministry of Finance to lay Federal Health Levy Bill in the Parliament to impose tax on tobacco and sugary drinks to boost the revenue and prevent non-communicable diseases.
In a letter to the Ministry of Finance, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Special Assistant on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan emphasized upon the need to charge Rs10 per pack of 20 cigarettes health tax on tobacco and Re1 per 250 milliliter on carbonated drinks as approved by the federal cabinet on June 18, 2019.
Sultan said the non-communicable diseases like heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung disease were collectively responsible for almost 68 percent of all deaths in Pakistan.