Tobacco vendors’ registration starts in Punjab

LAHORE:Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department Punjab has decided to issue tobacco vend licences by implementing Punjab Tobacco Control Act 1958 for which formal registration of venders selling tobacco and its products has been started across Punjab.

Excise, Taxation Punjab Director General Muhammad Ali launched the move to register tobacco vendors across the province on Friday by clicking a button. Additional DG Excise Ahmed Saeed, Director Excise Rizwan Sherwani, Federal Ministry of Health District Coordinator for Tobacco control Shehzad Iqbal, Miss Cathy Wright and Khurram Hashmi from the non-governmental anti-tobacco organisation The Union were also present on the occasion.

Excise DG said that the tobacco licence fee was being increased for the first time after 1958, according to which the smallest hawker or vendor would be charged Rs1,000, the bigger trader will be charged Rs5,000, then Rs8,000 and the biggest one would be charged Rs15,000. DG Excise added that the licence fee would increase at the rate of 15 percent every year. He said, ‘The violator can be fined up to Rs100,000 while media awareness campaign regarding the licence will also be launched.’ DG Excise Muhammad Ali expressed his determination that the national and international agenda regarding tobacco control efforts would be fully ensured. He said, ‘Murree will be made a tobacco-free city in collaboration with the federal government and non-governmental organisations.’ Earlier, Miss Kathy Wright said that the licencing process was an important weapon to reduce the use of tobacco. She assured that her organisation would provide full support to the Excise Department for the success of Licencing move. Additional DG Excise Ahmad Saeed said that the registration for issuance of licences of mega stores had been done and the rest were in progress. He said that there were more than 25,000 tobacco business units in Punjab to be licenced.

Ahmed Saeed said that licencing would also increase government revenues. On this occasion, DG Excise presented a commemorative shield to Miss Cathy.