313ghazi
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2017
- Messages
- 12,932
- Reaction score
- 45
- Country
- Location
ISLAMABAD:
The government is all set to implement a health levy on cigarettes from the coming fiscal year to discourage smoking, boost revenues and reduce the number of non-communicable diseases caused by the use of tobacco like cancer, diabetes and stroke.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Public Health, Dr Faisal Sultan, said that his ministry was working to incorporate the health levy bill on cigarettes into the upcoming Finance Bill to implement it across the country.
He said the health levy on cigarettes should have been implemented from the previous fiscal year after the federal cabinet approved the health levy in June 2019, but this could not happen owing to a number of reasons and administrative shortcomings. The federal cabinet approval is yet to be implemented.
"This delay in implementation of the health levy is causing a loss of around Rs38 billion annually to the national exchequer because of the lower tax collection."
The special assistant has vowed not to accept pressure from any influential industry to further delay the imposition of the levy, adding that the levy would help collect additional billions of rupees in taxes that would go a long way towards improving the health infrastructure of the country.
tribune.com.pk
The government is all set to implement a health levy on cigarettes from the coming fiscal year to discourage smoking, boost revenues and reduce the number of non-communicable diseases caused by the use of tobacco like cancer, diabetes and stroke.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Public Health, Dr Faisal Sultan, said that his ministry was working to incorporate the health levy bill on cigarettes into the upcoming Finance Bill to implement it across the country.
He said the health levy on cigarettes should have been implemented from the previous fiscal year after the federal cabinet approved the health levy in June 2019, but this could not happen owing to a number of reasons and administrative shortcomings. The federal cabinet approval is yet to be implemented.
"This delay in implementation of the health levy is causing a loss of around Rs38 billion annually to the national exchequer because of the lower tax collection."
The special assistant has vowed not to accept pressure from any influential industry to further delay the imposition of the levy, adding that the levy would help collect additional billions of rupees in taxes that would go a long way towards improving the health infrastructure of the country.
Levy on cigarettes in next budget, says Dr Sultan | The Express Tribune
SAPM says delay in tax implementation causing loss of Rs38 billion annually
tribune.com.pk
