Consultation meeting on ‘Necessity of Tobacco Tax Policy for Public Health Protection’

Bureau of Economic Research (BER) and Bangladesh Network for Tobacco Tax Policy (BNTTP) jointly arranged the consultation meeting titled ‘Necessity of Tobacco Tax Policy for Public Health Protection’ at the conference room of the BER on Dhaka University campus on August 14, 2023).

Saidur Rahman, additional secretary of the Ministry of Health; attended the event as the chief guest with Dr Nasir Uddin Ahmed, former chairman of NBR; in the chair.

Hossain Ali Khondker, an additional secretary of the Health Ministry and coordinator of National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC); and Md. Mostafizur Rahman, lead policy advisor of CTFK; were present as special guests.

Dr. Rumana Huque, a professor at Department of Economics of Dhaka University; presented the keynote speech in the meeting, while Advocate Syed Mahbubul Alam Tahin, technical consultant of The Union; and Syed Mahfuzul Haque of WHO; took part in the discussion as the panel discussants.

The meeting was attended by representatives of NBR’s Large Taxpayers Unit (LTU), Bangladesh Competition Commission, Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission, Health Economics Unit, development activists and journalists.

Dr. Rumana Huque said that the BER has formulated an outline of tobacco tax policy on its own initiative after being motivated by the Prime Minister’s announcement of making Bangladesh tobacco-free by 2040. The Health Economics Unit of the Health Services Division and the National Tobacco Control Cell have taken initiatives to draft a tobacco tax policy following this framework. “We hope that the government bodies concerned will take necessary initiative in this regard,” she said.

A BER research shows that cigarettes are being sold at much higher prices than the maximum retail price printed on the packets. If the tax is collected in a proper way, the government would get an additional revenue of about Tk, 4500 crore annually. The government should take effective steps to stop tax evasion by ensuring sale of cigarettes at maximum retail price, said the speakers of the event.

Experts on public health, economists, researchers on tobacco control and government officials at a consultation meeting have said that the number of patients must be reduced to cut the medical cost and pressure on the health sector. Currently, non-communicable diseases accounted for about 70% of total deaths in Bangladesh. The use of tobacco is one of the leading reasons.

Against this backdrop, there is no alternative to strengthen the tobacco tax system in the country in addition to the law. So, formulation of a tobacco tax policy is necessary to build a tobacco-free Bangladesh. As tobacco is affecting public health, the Ministry of Health should take the lead in formulating a tobacco tax policy, said the public health analysts.