(KPL) The Lao Government is planning to raise the tax on cigarettes and it is aimed at getting more people to kick the smoking habit and this was said by the Deputy Minister of Public Health, Bounkuang Phichit.
This plan was disclosed at a meeting to discuss the results of a study on the income derived from the levy on cigarettes in Vientiane on 28 November. According to its findings the government did derive benefits from the taxation on cigarettes, albeit minimal and the main beneficiaries are the owners of cigarette companies.
The Government is planning to increase the tax by as much as 66 to 80 per cent and to ban all advertising on cigarettes and those related activities that upholds the virtue of smoking. In addition, cigarette manufacturers will have to publish on the cigarette packets a message to warn of the dangers of smoking to human health and the government will declare all government offices as cigarette free zones.
“While cigarette business is lucrative but just a small portion of the profits went to the tobacco farmers and the employees of cigarette companies,” Mr Bounkuang added. “Presently, the Committee for Tobacco Control of the Ministry of Public Health in cooperation with relevant ministries had already drafted a law on tobacco control and it now being considered by the Lao cabinet.
the government should have taken this measure long time ago, Gov thinks when the taxation is high the cigarette is high as well, so smokers are considered to quit due to the high price, but in contrast , I think the farmer those who give up growing the tobacco will come back, the tobacco will increase, the smoker will be increasing as well, because of the addiction... the government's plan probably supporting the farmer to grow more the tobacco. good for a social-economic and export the tobacco.
i dont think that the smoker won't reduce because of the high price of cigarette..
This is a good news for everyone. this can help the ones who smoke to get rid of their addiction and bad habbit that destroy their health, make them pollute the air that other breath, and turn their money into smoke.
The higher will be the price of cigarets, the less people will smoke. This is the case in all the countries that took such decision.
It will work. In jurisdictions where there are high tobacco taxes, cigarette smoking has decreased specially among young people. This is also beneficial in the long run because less people will develop smoking related diseases that can be a burden on the health care system and their families.
