New Delhi, Jan 2: The Centre has prepared a bill to raise the age for allowing sale of cigarettes and tobacco products to 21 years from the current 18 years.
Holy smokes! New law may bar public servants from tobacco investments jamaica-gleaner.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from jamaica-gleaner.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
By Judith Mackay | China Daily Global | Updated: 2020-12-22 09:15 Share CLOSE A Montecristo cigar is pictured in a tobacco store amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Brussels, Belgium, Oct 26, 2020. [Photo/Agencies]
The new Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2020 shows aggressive tobacco industry lobbying in 2019 and exploitation of the COVID-19 pandemic this year.
The report was released by global tobacco industry watchdog Stopping Tobacco Organizations and Products. It measures tobacco industry influence: The more influence the tobacco industry has, the less governments are able to reduce the 8 million deaths worldwide caused by tobacco each year. Moreover, reports have clarified that smoking increases suffering and risks of dying from COVID-19.
PETALING JAYA: The taxes levied on cigarettes and tobacco products at all duty-free islands and zones is the right move as it will reduce demand for these products, say anti-smoking groups.
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) coordinator for tobacco control and Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control secretary-general Muhammad Sha’ani Abdullah said the taxes imposed are “long overdue”.
“Malaysia is a party to the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control that requires countries that signed on to implement the requirements under the convention. The convention requires the country to implement demand and supply reduction strategies.
“One of the ways of demand reduction is by increasing the price by way of additional tax. There should not be any tax-free status for any tobacco products under the convention. We welcome the move to abolish tax-free status for tobacco products in Malaysia. It is a long overdue decision, ” he said.
Department mulls excise tax structure for cigarettes
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published : 14 Dec 2020 at 06:55
9 A convenience store worker gets cigarettes for a customer. The Excise Department is rushing to determine the tax structure for tobacco. (Photo by Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)
The Excise Department is deliberating on the excise tax structure for cigarettes to strike a balance between public revenue, farmers income, public health and tackling illegal cigarettes.
The present tobacco tax structure stipulates a 20% tax rate is applied to the retail price for packs costing up to 60 baht. If the retail price exceeds 60 baht per pack, a 40% tax rate is applied.
A flat tax rate of 40% was scheduled to be applied since October 2019, regardless of the retail price.