Call to impose health levy on tobacco products

MULTAN: A local NGO on Tuesday demanded the government impose health levy on tobacco products immediately to save the country’s economy.

Addressing a virtual conference here, the NGO’s country head Malik Imran Ahmed said that the federal cabinet had decided to implement a healthy levy on tobacco products in June 2019.

The decision was made to protect the health of low income groups and children by taking tobacco products out of their spending reach, he told. Unfortunately, some key members of the government repeatedly defused the move to protect the interests of the tobacco industry.

The NGO’s programme manager Khalil Ahmed said that the efforts of the Prime Minister to improve the economy of Pakistan were commendable. Children were the most affected group from tobacco consumption because the industry targets them, he added.