Speakers at a post-budget briefing on Saturday opined that the proposed budget for FY 2022-23, if finally adopted and realised, will increase the use of cigarettes and other tobacco products among the poor and the youth
Also, it will deprive the government of additional revenue and, at the same time, hike health expenditures, they said.
The remarks were made at a conference organised jointly by Progga and Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) at the Dhaka Reporters Unity, according to a statement.
Citing the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, speakers say that 2022 (provisional) has seen a 10 percent increase in the National Per Capita Income (nominal) over the previous year. Compared to the increase in per capita income, the hike in cigarette price will only make cigarettes more affordable and particularly encourage the youth to light up.
In his speech as the chief guest of the event, eminent economist and convener of the National Anti-Tobacco Platform, Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said, "In the highly-used low-tier cigarettes, the price has been increased by only 10 paisa per stick. The prices of jarda, gul and bidi have not been increased at all. This will do nothing to reduce tobacco use”. The event was attended by Dr Rumana Haq, Professor, Department of Economics, University of Dhaka, Md Ataur Rahman, Senior Policy Advisor, CTFK Bangladesh, Md Abdus Salam, Grants Manager, CTFK Bangladesh, among others.
