Introduce Specific Taxes and Raise Prices of Tobacco Products- PROGGA-ATMA Demand in Pre-Budget Press Conference
In the upcoming national FY 2023-24 budget, the government must introduce a tier-based specific supplementary duty to raise the prices of cigarettes. Such demand has been voiced by research and advocacy organization PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) during a pre-budget press conference on tobacco taxation and prices, held today (18 March 2023, Saturday) at the Tofazzal Hossain Manik Miah Auditorium of the National Press Club of the Capital.
During the press conference, speakers particularly urged the policymakers to hike the retail price of the low-tier cigarettes to BDT 55 from BDT 40 for 10 sticks, followed by BDT 35.75 as specific supplementary duty (65 percent of the final retail price). It was also informed that, compared to other cigarette tier...